


Fire and flames

by MyLadyDay



Series: Ficlet collections [3]
Category: One Piece
Genre: Additional Warnings In Author's Note, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Alternate Universe - Vikings, Anal Sex, M/M, Porn, Single Dad Marco, Supernatural Elements, Various AUs, pineapple flavored lube, sassy izo, teacher ace
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-08-22
Updated: 2017-03-20
Packaged: 2018-02-14 06:29:23
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 45
Words: 26,515
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2181462
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MyLadyDay/pseuds/MyLadyDay
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Collection of short ficlets of various themes to get some of the ideas out. All kinds of universes and settings and whatever else I think of. None of these are beta'd yet and I write them in a hurry, so pardon my stupid random mistakes</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Birthday

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again same AU

Ace slept peacefully, tangled in a mess of sheets and a blanket that looked suspiciously like a cocoon on the bed. The other side of the bed was empty and cold despite the presence of another man in the small apartment. Marco stood in the doorway, the chill air nipping at his exposed skin. There was another chill creeping up his spine, though, in no way related to the October cold or the fact he only wore a thin pair of boxers. No, it happened at times when he was suddenly left without Ace's warmth or suddenly reminded he didn't deserve that warmth.

He had woken up and went to the kitchen for a glass of water. Before he knew it, it was October 5th; his birthday. A grim reminder that he was, in fact, growing older. As opposed to Ace, who was still in his mid-twenties, his best years. The age gap between them had never seemed so huge as it did in the moment Marco observed Ace snoring lightly, his freckled face peeking out of the sheets while he stood in the cold darkness. What did Ace even see in him? It was a question he had often asked himself, but he could never answer it. He would go on each time, enjoying every moment he had with the younger man as if it were his last.

His skin was prickling from the cold, yet he made no move to go back in bed. Ace seemed content without him, as much as that thought saddened him, and he was content with watching the other sleep. It reminded him of their first nights together; he couldn't believe how lucky he got, observing the other sleep for fear he might disappear if Marco closed his eyes. A soft smile played at his lips as he remembered the past years they had spent together.

He was snapped out of his thoughts by a sound from the bed and he watched as Ace somehow detangled his arm from all the fabric around him. Once free, he stretched the arm across Marco's side of the bed and stilled when he found it empty. He lifted his head groggily and glanced around the room until his eyes settled on the blond. Ace simply observed him for a moment before reaching for his phone on the bedside table. Blinking furiously as the light blinded him, Ace seemed to get what he had wanted from the phone as he put it back.

Marco watched curiously as Ace untangled himself from the mess on the bed and got up without uttering a word. The freckled man walked to him, cupped his face and surprised him with a kiss.

"Happy birthday, babe," he said as he pulled away. "Now come back to bed."

Ace took him by the hand and almost dragged him to bed, making them fall on the soft surface in a pile of limbs. The younger man managed to settle himself across Marco's chest, successfully pinning him down so he couldn't escape again and Marco went with it, pulling the blanket over them both.

Maybe the day wasn't so bad after all.


	2. Izo (canon-verse pt.1)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this one and the next 10 are canon-verse with no affiliations to the previous 3

The silk was just as smooth and soft as Marco had imagined, yet he still didn't feel completely at ease with his current situation. His eyes darted to the door every once in a while, both out of fear of someone walking into the cabin and checking how close his escape route was.

"You know, pink really isn't your color," Izo said from behind him and immediately started stripping the pink flower print kimono he coaxed Marco into wearing only minutes before. "I think I still have that blue one…" he mumbled to himself as he walked back to the closet with the pink garment in his hands, leaving Marco in the middle of the room wearing only his underwear. He had to fight tooth and nail to even get that much; when Izo wanted something, the man got it by any means necessary and to Marco's grief, he seemed to want a live model for some thing or another.

"Izo, what are we even doing?" Marco asked his fellow commander. The blond had a higher rank, but he knew better than to use it in a situation like his current one. After all, Izo would make him pay dearly.

"You're trying on a kimono, sweetie," Izo replied with a look on his face that screamed 'you're an idiot' to Marco. He was by the blond's side in a flash, already covering his shoulders with another bundle of soft fabric. Marco rolled his eyes at his brother's statement, but almost had to bite his tongue to stop himself from saying something rash or insulting.

"I'm aware of that," he said through grit teeth. "I'm just wondering why that is."

Izo kept quiet, however, working on getting the ice blue kimono with snowflake embroidered into the sleeves and hems of the cloth. Marco could admit it was beautiful and in no way a surprise that Izo owned something of the kind, but he was still at a loss of a logical explanation. Still, Izo wasn't deterred in his work as he wrapped the fabric around Marco's torso and hips, tying it with more fabrics of the same quality. Really, the 16th Division commander had a wardrobe that would make any woman jealous. Putting on a garment like a kimono, however, was tedious work and even if Marco was cooperative, it took a while to finish. At least he understood why Izo never went full kimono and opted for a simpler variant. Still, it was New Years eve and he wasn't exactly dressed in the warmest of clothes, no matter how pretty they were.

Izo was finally done while Marco dwelled on the perpetual question of why he was standing in the middle of his brother's room wearing a female kimono.

"There, you're ready to go," Izo said with a smirk of triumph decorating his face, his dexterous hands combing Marco's blond hair back.

"Go? Go where? I'm not going out like this!" he said with some annoyance finally seeping into his voice. "What the hell is going on, Izo?!"

However, Izo was already pushing him through the door and down the hall until they reached a closed door.

"It's Ace's birthday," Izo said while opening the door. "You'll thank me for this in the morning," he added before pushing the blond into the dark room and closing the door behind him.

"They'll both thank me in the morning."


	3. Surprise (canon-verse pt.2)

In the hurried walk down the hall and with all the shoving, Marco hardly had time or the state of mind to notice where he was going. So he found himself in a dark room wearing nothing but a soft silk kimono. He was confused, to say the least, and the only information to work with was the fact that it was apparently Ace's birthday which wasn't exactly very much. He couldn't really tell what it had to do with his current situation anyway.

He sighed; it was somewhat sad that he wasn't really surprised at what Izo did. It was usually easier to just go with it than to object.

It could have been minutes or hours in the dark when the door opened once again, but it closed before he could see who it was. Marco could hear another set of footsteps and shuffling in the room before the light was turned on. He blinked furiously; after a while in the dark, the light was blinding. Still blinded, he couldn't see who was with him in the room, but the other person revealed himself with speaking.

"Marco?" Ace asked, the confusion he suffered evident from just his voice alone. "What are you… Why are you dressed like that?" he asked and Marco felt embarrassment wash over him. Wearing female clothing wasn't exactly frowned upon on the ship, but it was still something most of them didn't do. It was just his luck that Ace of all people would find him like that, in his most embarrassing state. Prepared to see disgust or disappointment on Ace's face, Marco opened his eyes and looked into the direction of the other's voice.

Ace stood before him, frozen in spot with a slight blush gracing his freckled face. His eyes were wide as he took in his fellow commander's unusual attire and how well it fit him. Marco would say the other looked… amazed.

"Ah, sorry, yoi," he said, scratching the back of his neck. "Izo got a hold of me." That in itself was self-explanatory. "What are you doing here?" It was Marco's turn to ask, still shocked that Ace didn't show any negative emotions towards his appearance.

"This is my room," Ace replied absentmindedly, his eyes roaming over the expanse of blue silk and parts of uncovered pale skin. "And Izo said he left my birthday present here…" he trailed off, the realization hitting him so hard, Marco could see it on his face. He would have laughed had it not been for the fact he was stunned by the same thing. That sneaky bastard.

Ace was staring right at him, his eyes wide and his blush deepening. Somehow, he looked even more appealing to the blond with the air of innocent embarrassment about him, despite the lack of shirt and an obvious stirring in his black shorts. Maybe the freckled youngster wasn't as innocent as he looked at times.


	4. Pounce (canon-verse pt.3)

The silence was heavy as neither of them knew how to proceed. Marco wouldn't admit it out loud, but he felt uneasy under Ace's gaze; the pupils of his dark eyes were blown wide as his gaze roamed over the blond's body. It was unusual to say the least and he didn't even count the kimono. He wished he could say that was a first, anyway.

It was a first, however, that Ace was as silent as he was with such a predatory look on his face. It was an incredibly hot sight and Marco fought with all his willpower to keep himself from getting aroused. His fellow commander was without a doubt attractive and Marco would lie if he said he didn't like the other, but he couldn't let himself go. He couldn't give in to the desire; they were crewmates, friends, but most of all they were supposed to be brothers. Marco was supposed to be Ace's big brother, someone to protect the younger and guide him. Not fall for him. Of course there was also the age difference. He was way too old for a 20 year old.

"Marco…"

Ace's voice snapped him out of his pity party and he focused on the freckled man. The younger didn't seem to have any qualms about it, though, as he started moving at last. To Marco's surprise, the Second Division Commander moved faster than the blond could fathom and pounced the older man. Ace shifted his weight and they landed on the floor with a thud, Marco enveloping himself in blue flames on instinct to prevent himself from getting hurt. The hues of blue on his flames surprisingly matched the tones of his kimono and Ace seemed mesmerized at the sight, only a groan leaving his lips.

Marco barely held on to his resolve of not taking advantage of Ace, but it was getting harder by the second. So was he, with the raven head straddling his hips, moving his hips occasionally. Ace's hungry eyes were locked onto his probably equally predatory ones as the younger man lowered his head until it was barely inches away from the blond's face. Their breaths mingled as they started at each other. Marco didn't know whether he should push the other off or close the distance between them, but Ace seemed to know how he wanted things to go. Before the blond even knew what happened, the younger commander closed the distance in what was in no way a chaste kiss. Marco's mind was made up and his hands circled Ace's waist of their own accord.

His blue flames still surrounded him, cooling Ace's skin and tempting his own red ones to emerge, mingling with the cold ones. Marco's hands, coated with flames as well, moved up Ace's back making him break the kiss and moan at the sensation.

"Marco…" His name left Ace's lips once again and he was gone. He couldn't hold back any longer; Ace obviously wanted him too, there was nothing to lose.

"Ace," Marco said with a smile, closing the distance between the once again, putting everything he had into the kiss.


	5. Heat (canon-verse pt.4)

Once he let go of his resolve or whatever it was that held him back, Marco threw himself fully into the present. He rolled Ace over to the side, their lips still connected, as he towered over the younger man. There were no objections to the change of position, but Ace's eyes were wide with surprise; he had probably not been expecting Marco to give in so easily.

Finally closer to the freckled man than he had ever been, Marco was overwhelmed by the heat radiating from the body beneath him, even mixed in with his colder flames it was making him dizzy. It all felt too unreal for comfort, yet he was determined to enjoy every second of it. His hand wrapped in flames stroked one side of Ace's neck while his mouth moved down the other. He felt the other's moan before he heard it and it sent new waves of arousal through him.

Marco's hand trailed lower, the flames still present on his fingers as he reached Ace's nipple. It was as if he had hit a switch before Ace let out a moan and flipped them over once again, eliciting a chuckle from Marco. He didn't complain about yet another turn of their position as it gave him the opportunity to run his hands up and down Ace's sides, enjoying every ripple of muscles under his touch and every soft moan that sent shivers down his spine.

Ace couldn't keep his hands to himself either, touching both the soft fabric of the kimono as well as Marco's equally smooth skin that would break out in a bright flame wherever he would touch. Marco's arousal was easily noticeable through the thin fabric of the kimono and Ace smirked before grinding against it, revealing exactly how turned on he was as well.

Too late for turning back, Marco kissed Ace once again; his hands slid around the younger man's waist and tightened as he lifted them both from the ground only to lower the freckled man on the bed they completely ignored before. Things were becoming more real and Marco found himself under attack again; Ace was sliding his hands impatiently up the blond's chest, over his shoulders and into the kimono only to slide it down pale arms until Marco's chest was completely bare. Ace took the opportunity to glide the palms of his hands all over Marco's muscled chest, sliding them over the other's shoulders and down his back as far as he could reach as the blond lowered himself to kiss Ace's lips again.

Blunt nails dug into Marco's back as pleasure took over them both.


	6. Skin (canon-verse pt.5)

Marco could barely pull away from Ace long enough to unbutton the damned black shorts the freckled man insisted on wearing all the time, but somehow he managed. He took his sweet time pulling the pants down Ace's pale legs, enjoying how his muscles shivered as the fabric slid over them. The sliding stopped, however, once Marco reached the other's boot clad feet. Groaning in frustration, an unusual display of emotion for the blond, the older let go of the fabric and pulled the boots off, one by one. Even when not wearing almost anything at all, Ace still seemed to wear too much.

The boots fell to the floor with a thud, followed by the soft rustling of fabric as the shorts joined them. Ace's eyes never left the blond man, moving from his face down his tattooed chest and over his poorly hidden erection then back up again. Finding himself completely bare in front of the blond, Ace sat up on the bed enough to unfasten the pitiful string still holding the kimono around Marco's waist. It had come off easily, reminding both of them that Izo was responsible for the more than pleasing development of the situation; they would need to thank him extensively, but that was hardly a thought that remained for long. After all, they had other business to attend to.

The silk made its way down Marco's thighs, revealing the boxers underneath. Ace growled, to Marco's surprise, as if the piece of clothing offended him on a fundamental level before ripping them off. The blond stood in his spot by the foot of the bed, gaping at Ace in surprise while his cock twitched in arousal. The younger commander looked up and smiled, his pupils blown wide, before pulling Marco down on the bed. Once again towering over the freckled man, Marco kissed him, only breaking the contact to moan because of the hands trailing down his back. He lifted his head and closed his eyes in pleasure as the hands reached as low as they could, just barely above his ass.

The hands stilled and he opened his eyes once again, his gaze wandering to the rest of the bed beyond Ace's head and froze. Ace noticed the change in the blond and looked worriedly at him, hoping the man above him hadn't changed his mind. He stretched out under Marco, tilting his head back as far as he could to see what had affected his almost lover. He flinched as his eyes fell on the yellow bottle resting on his pillow, a bottle neither of them noticed as they were preoccupied with each other. A bottle of pineapple scented lube; a very clear reminder of the damned okama who they would have to thank very very profusely as he obviously planned the evening more than the two of them initially thought.

Before Marco could change his mind, Ace turned back and grabbed the other's blond head, kissing the man more fiercely than before until he had the blond's undivided attention. He would not let him back out anymore.


	7. Pineapple (canon-verse pt.6)

Seeing the not-so-common variety of lube left on the pillow by Izo felt strangely like the okama was mocking him, ridiculing him for all the time he had wasted by not making a move on the younger man out of fear of rejection. Marco, however, had no intention of changing his mind about the course of things; he was too far gone anyway, everything feeling too good to just be thrown away. The way Ace kissed him with a need so intense he had never felt before made his insides flutter and he berated himself for not doing this sooner, but there was no point in dwelling on it anymore.

Ace broke the kiss and pulled himself higher on the bed, his fingers gently sliding across Marco's jaw, beckoning him to follow. The smile on that freckled face was too alluring to be true, but Marco couldn't help but smile back and crawl over the bed to settle between Ace's parted thighs. The smile beaming from Ace widened and he swiftly pulled Marco closer, kissing him as if it were the last thing he would ever do.

Marco enjoyed the new position that gave him the opportunity to caress the other's inner thighs, relishing each and every shiver it caused on the younger man's body. As the blond's hands moved higher across pale soft skin, Ace found it harder to contain his moans. With a lick down the other's neck and a harsh suck to Ace's collarbone, Marco prompted him to stop trying and let it out; it was music to the blond's ears and he doubted it would ever bore him.

The blond caressed his way closer and closer to Ace's almost painful erection, but restrained from touching it directly, seeing as the teasing had a wonderful effect on Ace. The younger man's breath grew more haggard, his chest heaving uncontrollably as he fought against begging the blond for a real touch. Marco only smiled at the notion, enjoying every second of the effect he seemed to have on his younger lover. He kissed with his tongue slithering out every once in a while, moving down Ace's chest, feeling each groan and moan rumble under his lips. His hands caressed further up until finally settling on the other's hips to hold him in place while he continued his torture.

Ace could do nothing more than to let himself fall into the pits of pleasure the other was providing, holding on to the last shred of sanity for a bit longer before he would actually beg. His thoughts went back to the bottle now pressing into his back and he smirked to himself before taking it into his hand. He uncapped it with a loud pop and brought Marco's attention to himself. The look on the blond's face suggested that he would not go near the bottle or the liquid inside it, but Ace couldn't care less.

"If you don't do it, I will," Ace said softly, his hand trailing between his own legs to emphasize his point.


	8. Patience (canon-verse pt.7)

Marco was still while processing the words that left Ace's mouth only moments ago. The sentence, fairly simple in reality and constructed so it sounded like it was a threat, but it was far from it. The blond was even less interested in the lube as a result, wondering if Ace would really go through with what he had suggested.

"I'm not touching that, yoi," he said, noticing how weak his voice sounded. Who could blame him in the situation he was in, anyway?

Ace replied with a smirk and a pulled his hand back up, dragging the fingers over his abdomen all the while Marco remained still, his eyes fixed on the hand as it made its slow ascend.

"Fine," Ace whispered as he poured some of the lube onto his hand, the smell of pineapple slowly filling the limited space between them. Still, Marco remained silent as his eyes remained fixed onto that glistening hand, watching as fingers spread the clear liquid around. Ace, on the other hand, didn't avert his gaze from the arousal stricken face before him. Slowly, he placed a lube covered finger over his nipple and breathed in sharply at the sensation, moaning once he noticed how Marco's breathing became heavier.

Ever so slowly, the finger circled around the hard nipple before languidly making its way further down. Marco dared not to move, only his eyes trailing the maddeningly slow hand. Still, he did nothing as the finger brushed over twitching abs, getting closer to its destination. Changing the course, Ace moved his hand to the side, following an invisible path down his hip and thigh, avoiding his aching arousal just as Marco had done before. Finally reaching the goal, Ace's hand cupped his balls as he reached behind them, only a gasp alerting Marco to the fact a lubed finger entered the younger man.

The blond gasped as well, lifting his gaze only to be met by a scorching stare from two perfect dark eyes. He couldn't look away nor did he want to as wet sounds reached his ears. All he could do was lean forward and capture the parted lips before him into a searing kiss as one of his own fingers joined Ace's in the younger man's lubed entrance.

Ace let out a startled moan, breaking the kiss only to have Marco reconnect their lips once again after a moment too long. The blond's hand cupped Ace's smaller one, fingers intertwined except for the two gliding in and out of the freckled man.

Marco broke the kiss this time, pulling back just enough to see their joined hands; he looked at the almost unbelievable sight before locking eyes with Ace once again. The blond smirked, confusing Ace for a moment, before inserting another finger. He watched as the dark eyes screwed shut, a shuddering moan leaving the younger man's lips. The older commander didn't stop his movements, watching as tiny flames flickered across Ace's chest; his own blue ones responded at the sight, feeling how they were both losing control.


	9. Whisper (canon-verse pt.8)

Ace was barely holding it together, his body feeling like it would fall apart from the vast amount of sensations he was feeling. Marco's fingers, and one of his own, would occasionally get close to his prostate and his body would shudder in anticipation only for the blond to pull their hands back. He was teasing, that much was obvious, but Ace couldn't take it anymore; he sincerely doubted the other was as collected as he seemed as well. The only thing he could do was surprise the man again, hoping he would prompt the blond into moving further.

As subtly as possible, Ace used his free arm to locate the still opened bottle of lube. Marco noticed, of course, but was hardly dumb enough to protest, letting Ace withdraw his occupied hand and coat it with lube once again. The blond continued with his task, feeling more merciful as he ventured closer to Ace's sweet spot, watching the man shudder while trying to focus on the lube. Marco grinned, after all the sight amused him to some extent.

With some form of revenge on his mind, Ace squeezed a fair amount of lube into his hand and swiftly grabbed Marco's erection, making the older man moan in surprise. He withdrew his hand in his startled state, leaving Ace empty, but grinning in triumph. He kept eye contact as he lazily stroked Marco's arousal, covering it with already warm lube. The smell of pineapples was growing more prominent, but neither paid attention to it.

Marco let himself be stroked, even as he felt he might burst any second, taking the opportunity to lean down and gently press his lips against Ace's. Slow and soft, it was a kiss like they hadn't shared yet and Ace let go, circling his arms around the blond who gripped the other's hips in steady, but gentle hands. Their eyes were open as Marco adjusted his angle and pushed inside, met with an overwhelming heat, moaning in time with Ace at the long awaited sensation.

He stilled, lips only inches away from Ace's as they gazed into each other's eyes, oblivious to the flickering of flames mixing wherever they were joined.

Marco dared not to move as he listened to the thundering of both their hearts or it might have been just his, threatening to drown out any other sound as he felt Ace's breath tickle his face. The other was just as still, his lower lip quivering between breaths.

Pulling the blond as close as possible, flush against his chest, Ace encircled the other with his legs too. The motion pulled Marco unexpectedly deeper as Ace whispered through a shuddering moan.

"Marco…"


	10. Together (canon-verse pt.9)

A whisper of his name was enough to snap him back into reality, being lost in the perfection that was Ace. Locked in the younger man's arms, Marco pulled his hips back before pushing back in, kissing Ace at the same time. He repeated the motion, starting a slow pace that drove them both mad with want yet left them feeling a closeness they never knew before.

Ace no longer tried to keep his moans in as they fueled the blond man currently effortlessly gliding into him as he gave back as good as he got by moving his hips into meeting the other in his thrusts. Their bodies flush against each other, sweat evaporating in the heat they emitted together. They both felt it, accustomed to it as it enveloped them into a world of their own where nothing else mattered.

Marco was steadily increasing his pace, feeling himself shudder along with Ace every time he hit the younger man's prostate or even just brushed against it. They moaned in unison, surrounded by the smell of pineapples that would never again have the same meaning as it did before. The blond was moving faster and harder into Ace's welcoming body, no longer able to keep his eyes open from the sheer pleasure of it.

Ace had long ago forgotten how to keep his eyes open, barely containing the need to moan the other's name every time the blond thrust in.

Marco felt himself steadily approaching his end, opting for reaching between then and taking Ace's arousal into his hand. The freckled commander moaned louder, shuddering at the touch as he was obviously also at his limits; or at his wits end, which was also a possibility. Marco's free hand tangled into the sheets under Ace's quivering body, trying to ground him, keep him from coming too soon. It wasn't time yet, he had wanted the other for far too long to just finish before Ace did.

Timing his thrusts with the strokes of his hand, Marco slowed his pace a bit, determined to last just a bit longer. For all he knew, it could have been just a onetime thing for the other and, in that case, he wanted nothing more than to make the pleasure last for them both.

Ace noticed the change of pace, but held no protest for it; the blond was at a perfect angle, brushing against places that made him dig his nails into the other's strong and probably already marked back. The thought excited him, as he felt no healing flames under his finger tips, meaning the other kept them there on purpose. He was barely holding on, but it was well worth it as he felt Marco shiver against him while soft moans left his mouth; an alluring change to the otherwise bored looking man.

Still, the need for release was growing as Marco lowered his head into the crook of Ace's neck.


	11. Mine (canon-verse pt.10)

He couldn't take it anymore. The heat was too much, it was seeping into his very core, pooling in the pit of his stomach as he thrust faster once more. Ace was a panting moaning mess under him, looking as if he were in the same state; and he probably was, the heat of their bodies could make anyone crumble. Ace held onto him for dear life, no longer able to meet his thrusts as they became more erratic and uncontrolled just like the strokes of his hand around Ace's erection.

Ace shuddered violently before clutching onto Marco as hard as he could.

"Marco…" he panted. "I… I love yo…" Ace was cut off by a moan louder than the others before as he came, his whole body shaking in Marco's hold. The blond kept moving, the heat becoming more intense as Ace pulsed around him. Finally, the words filtered through the haze of pleasure and he realized what was said into his ear. He groaned, the magnitude of the statement and the pressure around him finally bringing him to his release as Ace still shivered under him. He slid his arms around the younger man, holding him as close as possible while the sheer force of the pleasure shook them both.

Breathing still heavy, but their bodies calm at last, Marco pulled out and rolled to his side. Ace was still in his arms and he had no intention of letting go, not after what his younger lover admitted. The freckled man, however, avoided his gaze, hiding his face in the crook of Marco's neck and the blond was confused for a fleeting moment before realizing what was wrong.

"Ace," he called out the other's name, prompting him to look into the blue eyes above him. "I love you too," Marco said, a soft smile gracing his face as he stared into the wide dark eyes. Slowly, Ace's face turned from startled to happy as he stared back at the older man still holding him. He wriggled in Marco's grip, adjusting himself more comfortably as he nuzzled into the blond's neck.

"Why didn't you say anything until now?" Ace asked, a blush rising to his cheeks; he found it ridiculous how he got embarrassed because of a stupid question after what they had done only moments before.

"Why didn't you?" Marco countered, but mentally slapped himself for keeping quiet all that time. Which brought him to the actual reason for him actually being in bed with the object of his desires. He sighed before Ace could answer the question.

"We have to…" he started, but couldn't continue without a frown. He had known from the start that the whole ordeal would cost him dearly in the end. "We have to talk to Izo," he finished and felt the other stiffen in his arms. They both knew Izo would have something to say about their stubbornness and stupidity that kept them apart for too long.

"Crap…" was all Ace could say on the subject, feeling too content and comfortable to think about troublesome things as se slowly drifted to sleep.


	12. Izo, take two (canon-verse pt.11)

The ship was eerily silent when Marco woke up. Surprisingly, he slept better than he had in a while and it wasn't even his bed. That might have been the reason. That or the really warm body draped over him, a warm breath tickling his neck with each soft snore. He didn't even try to fight the smile appearing on his face, instead he pulled Ace as close as he could. The younger man mumbled something in his sleep, but adjusting to the new position quickly. Marco chuckled at that, it was simply adorable though of course he wouldn't say it to the younger man's face.

As he chuckled some more, a soft mumble reached his ears again.

"Stop laughing, I'm trying to sleep," Ace said and tried to burrow his face further into the crook of Marco's neck, successfully tickling the older man thus prompting him to laugh again. "If you're like this every morning, I'm not letting you sleep here ever again," Ace said after the chuckles died down and Marco could feel the pout forming against his skin, barely holding back more laughter at this new adorable side of the freckled man he got to discover in such a short time.

"Fine, fine, I'll stop," Marco said, his grip around the other still strong. "But we have to get up and find Izo," he added and his grip instinctively tightened, telling Ace how much the other didn't want to do it. Still, it was better to get it over with as soon as possible. The whole crew was probably sleeping last night's festivities off, but Izo was undoubtedly awake already. The okama never seemed to get hungover or even drunk for that matter.

In a shamble of grumbles, lazy kisses and small smiles, the two left Ace's bed with longing written on both their faces; after all, they would both rather stay there and maybe go another round or two, but the only lube they had would just remind them of what needed to be done. Marco left Ace in his room, not before kissing him with more passion, to change his clothes and grab a bottle of expensive wine he had been saving for an unfortunate situation where he would be left in Izo's debt.

With a pair of pants and a clean shirt hiding the scratches on is back, Marco left his room and met up with Ace in the hall. The younger man also wore a shirt, a sight not seen often, and he carried a box of expensive chocolates from Fishman Island, which they visited a few months ago meaning the other had a stash of bribes for Izo as well. The whole crew probably did, really.

Without a word, the two of them walked towards the dining hall; they would probably find the okama there, sipping on some tea and waiting for some sort of punishment for the stubborn commanders.

As they had thought, he was sitting in a fairly clean dining call, reading the newspapers. He immediately looked up and grinned as he saw the two of them. Of course he didn't miss the fact Ace wore a shirt and Marco avoided eye contact. The okama knew the two of them had their fun last night, it was his turn after all the trouble those two put him through.

Looking at them expectantly, Izo set down his cup and the newspapers, waiting for them to speak. His grin turned smug as they set their offerings in front of him, mumbling a thank you. Usually he wouldn't let a sorry excuse for a thank you like that slide, but this time he actually did something for their benefit and not his own. They would be happy, he just knew it, the stubborn asses. Still, the offerings he got were good.

"A thank you is all I wanted," he said with smile. "But if I have to intervene again, you won't get off this easy." His face turned serious so fast, Ace flinched and Marco instinctively put his hand on the younger man's lower back, rubbing circles over the soft fabric to let the other know he was there. Izo, however, seemed pleased with that as he gave them a genuine smile.

The two took that as a permission to leave, sighing in relief at how well it went. Debts with Izo were a scary thing most of the time and the two commanders could hardly believe their luck as they found their way to Marco's room. Well, they were really grateful to the okama and he knew it.


	13. Ferryman

He found himself standing on a dark shore next to a violent river. The scant few people standing around him were gloomy and almost faceless. There were two gold coins in his hand, he noticed, before he finally realized where he was.

A multitude of splashing was approaching him and the others standing on shore, but the others did nothing to look at the approaching boats or the creatures operating them. As each boat reached the shore, Ace observed the people get on and place their own coins into the ferryman's waiting hand. One by one, the wooden boats drifted back from where they came from; all but one. The last one was waiting for him, a pale hand reaching from the black robes, waiting for the gold.

Ace slowly made his way to the water, carefully stepping onto the small wooden boat. He reached out and slowly placed the coins into the hand in front of him, jolting at the unexpected warmth emitted from the pale hand. He couldn't help himself, a strong urge to look into the hood of the creature before him surging forth and Ace lifted his gaze.

After all the stories he had heard, he was hardly expecting a pair of blue eyes upon a human face looking down at him from under the black hood. The man, because that's obviously what he was, looked equally confused and surprised. Because of what, however, Ace didn't know.

Still, the ferryman took the coins and stared at them in amazement.

"You're not supposed to be dead, yoi," he spoke and it was such a regular human voice amidst the black death surrounding them that Ace shuddered for the first time, realizing that he really was dead. Still, the man put the coins away and pushed off, their boat glided into the river, making Ace tumble to the floor of the boat. He could swear the other chuckled at him as he tried to restore his balance.

"I don't think you're supposed to laugh at me," Ace told his chaperone, fighting an embarrassing pout from appearing on his face.

The chuckle he got in reply sent a chill through Ace, suddenly feeling the death instead of just seeing it. Their boat was the only one on the river and he realized, a bit belatedly, that they didn't follow the route the others took.

"And you're not supposed to have two coins."

 


	14. Bonfire (canon-verse pt.12)

He really should have known. They both should have, honestly. It was suspicious from the start that Izo let them off that easily. Ace was fairly certain Marco shared his line of thought; if the look on his face was anything to go by, anyway. The okama bastard was obviously just waiting for them to reach shore, a summer island no less, to exact his revenge. What it was for, Ace couldn't really say, but that was beside the point anyway.

Ace squirmed as he heard some members of his division snicker somewhere nearby and he just knew it was directed at him. They would not let him live it down. Even if he was a human torch, his purpose was not roasting marshmallows!

"Stop fidgeting, you're burning my marshmallows," Izo said and Ace had to stay in place. As if it wasn't enough that he had to sit on a beach, completely engulfed by his flames, he was also surrounded by all the commanders. They were all highly amused and each had their own marshmallows to roast; even Marco despite knowing he'd be the subject of such a cruel fate too before long. He couldn't help but shoot a tiny ball of fire at the blond, burning his already small tuff of hair before the older commander released his own blue fire to fix the poor excuse of a haircut with a scowl on his face. Really, the blond had no right to laugh at him. They were supposed to be in it together, dammit.

His action, however, started a wave of laughter from the other commanders and Izo seemed extremely pleased with himself, the damn bastard. Though, Ace had to admit, he should have been counting his lucky stars because Izo didn't mention his 'present' at all. He did nothing to reveal his nakama's secret; so far at least. They'd have to do it eventually and the possibility of the okama torturing them until they spilled the beans was highly likely.

A wave of water spilled over Ace as well as the laughter from his fellow commanders as his fire went out and he stared in confusion.

"We don't need the fire anymore," Izo said with a smirk as he set the empty bucket on the sand. "Ace, would you be a dear and get some meat. I think we should prepare for a barbecue."

Ace could already feel the headache coming and the look of pity was firmly placed on Marco's face; whether for Ace's situation or for his own impending doom, Ace didn't know. All he knew was that they really needed to find a way out of this mess.


	15. Siren

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Warning for implied character death by drowning (nothing graphic)

It's funny how a storm on those seas can appear in all its destructive glory, take so many lives and then disappear in the blink of an eye. Well, it would have been funny if it weren't as sad. With the abnormally clear cold water enveloping him, Marco could do nothing but float on the surface, looking at the cloudless sky. The notion that he would sink any moment now wasn't lost on him, yet he remained calm. He was a sailor, after all, and for sailors there is no better death than one at sea.

The sun was warming his face, the skin already dry and itchy from the salt. His lips burned, longed for fresh water and relief, but he tried his best to ignore that feeling. The feeling of complete and utter loneliness, however, wasn't so easy to set aside. There was no one but him in the vast ocean or at least in the radius his eyes could see. The pressure of that feeling closed in on his chest just as the water did. His eyes closed and his lips finally getting the cool relief they desired, Marco was finally dragged under the surface.

Despite the burning of the salt, he opened his eyes and watched as the sunlight faded along with the last bits of hope. The sight was still one he was content to have as his last, the stray rays of the sun breaching through the water, illuminating him in various shades of blue and green.

The pressure in his chest increased, this time from lack of oxygen, no doubt and Marco could swear he heard it. As he was weighed down and pulled into the abyss, the light was slowly replaced by a voice. A voice and a stray touch, a blur of red and a melody that made his heart ache.

His eyelids grew heavy, his eyes begging to be closed to ward off the burning of the water. But he couldn't close them. He waited, knowing he had to wait for something. There was nothing to lose, after all. Delaying the inevitable end for a moment longer, Marco gaze didn't waver.

The voice and the melody tickled his ear, teasing him like a bubble of air might have, but he remained the way he was. His lungs hurt beyond a simple burning, the end was smiling at him...

But so was a freckled face before his eyes. The smiling lips moved, words leaving them as if spoken to a lover. A warm hand touching Marco's face offered a fragment of solace, keeping him alive for a moment to long; a moment he wasn't supposed to have. His aching lips stretched into a poor excuse of a smile as the warm hands pressed on his shoulders, pushing him down into the dark oblivion of the ocean he loved with all his heart.

His eyes close and the smile still there, Marco listened to the melody that guided him into nothingness.


	16. Dawn (vikingAU pt.1)

The beginning of a new day shone from the horizon. The first rays of the sun touched his face as he inhaled the salty air coming from the ocean. The breeze caressed his face, his eyes closed, as he enjoyed the silence of the dawn. The smooth handle of his axe in his hand was the only thing tying him to this earth and the beach under his feet. Waves, loud and violent, served only to calm his thoughts in his last moment of solitude.

It was cold, to put it simply. The breeze was more than just a breeze, lifting the heavy light fur draped over his shoulders, yet his arms and chest were wrapped in thin black fabrics; constricting clothes would do him no good in battle as he had learned ages ago. He didn't mind the cold, really. It was always there and it was part of him. Just like the ocean was. The waves were rocking their ships, he could hear it, the water hitting the sides of the wooden boats. It didn't worry him, they were built to last and to carry them all until the end of their days.

Sharp rocks of the beach crunched under several pairs of feet behind him; they were coming. There was no chatter, no laughter. Just the sound of footsteps and swords clinking in their sheaths, waiting anxiously to spill blood. The band of all too familiar men approached him, stopping just beyond his reach, he'd imagine and they waited.

His eyes remained closed as he lifted his hands, one of them still holding the axe, as he started his prayer. His voice broke through the howling and crashing of nature as he prayed to their wise god to grant them safe passage, a winning battle and above all, no casualties. It was no war, no honorable death and no admittance to Valhall. No glory.

With the last of his prayer, his hands fell to his sides as the axe remained. The men behind him, his brothers, stayed quiet. Flapping of fabric barely breached his hearing as he still stood proudly, suddenly feeling the weight of his wooden shield against his leg. The weight of protection was indeed a heavy one, one he had to bear alone.

He opened his eyes to the new day, the new journey. The sun shone without restraint and he took it as a good sign, a sign of good fortune just beyond reach. He waved his hand to the ship and the men understood; they boarded their vessel with their own shields and heavy weapons. Yet their armor was nonexistent; they attacked, they didn't cower from their enemies nor death itself.

They were warriors.

He finally made the first step, a step he made countless times before to countless plunders. They all waited with nothing but respect in their eyes as he joined them on the planks of their ship, making way for him to stand next to the dragon figurehead.

"Lead the way, Marco."


	17. The maiden

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning for death, blood and implied torture

He never knew silence could be so deafening. Yet, it wasn't complete silence; the crackling of fire filled the air as well as the smoke from the torches, the sounds of heavy breathing and an occasional soft plea. The others were behind him, waiting silently, yet he could feel their patience running thin already. The inquisition was rarely a patient bunch.

With his heart thundering in his chest, Marco remained focused on the figure before him. The other was almost entirely hidden in the shadows of their prison, as far away from him and the others as possible. Despite the shadows, Marco could see the other's frightened face clearly; either that, or the image his mind conjured would not leave him alone.

He moved closer to the curled up figure. Even if it was the last thing he wanted to do, he had to. Before him was a monster, a witch they needed to purge from the evil of the devil. Marco had to stay strong, his heartbeat betraying him as he was sure everyone could hear it. A soft whimper reached him and his gut clenched as he lowered himself to peer at the so called evil being.

The dark eyes he knew so well were filled with tears, almost at the brink of spilling over the freckled cheeks. Marco's heart felt like it had been pierced through at the sight of fear written on the other's face. Using his own body to cover the other's frail form from the others behind him, Marco reached out and caressed a freckled cheek stained with blood and dirt from the dungeon floor.

"Please forgive me," he pleaded quietly, only his eyes betraying the storm of regret trying to drown him from the inside.

The dark eyes fixed on his face, Marco helped the other up and guided him to the maiden; they had wanted it and he had to do it. Bile was rising in his throat, he felt sick of the fact it was all his fault. He caused all of it and others now suffered.

His barely clothed prisoner reached the open contraption, shaking in fear of the fate that awaited him. The blood stained spikes seemed to mock them both and Marco had to hold back his own tears as his hand still lay on the other's bare shoulder.

"Forgive me..." Marco repeated and watched with a stab through his chest as the frightened man stepped just before the spikes, his back turned to them as he still watched Marco's face. The tears were spilling now, making clean streaks through the blood and grime. Softly, barely audibly, he whispered Marco's name as he had done time and time before, a fact that led them to their current situation.

A tear rolled out of Marco's eye, it was the end for them both as they were aware, and he had no other choice but to grip the handle of the iron maiden.

"I love you," he whispered only for the man before him to hear, his heart breaking at the sob that left the freckled man's mouth. It was the end. One last glance and a painful pang of his heart, Marco closed the spiked door ignoring the resistance and the scream he would never unhear.


	18. Freckles

An expanse of pale skin lay before him, stretched like silk over firm muscles. His fingers trace the smooth surface with a feather-light touch, feeling the occasional shiver run through the body beneath him as his fingers smoothed over yet another cosmos of freckles. Marco found them fascinating. They were both adorable and sexy at the same time, just like the man whose skin they adorned. Said man was lying on the bed, sprawled out on the while crumpled sheets completely bare under Marco's gaze. Ace was blushing, not completely used to such acts of adoration.

Marco lowered his head closer to the other's face, his breath ghosting over the most prominent freckles the other possessed. The kiss he planted there was almost non-existent in its gentleness and Ace's breath hitched. The blond moved lower, ignoring Ace's mouth and following a trail of lighter splashes of spots, the ones only he got close enough to see or touch. His lips brushed over a freckle-stained collar bone as his hand gentry traced the side of Ace's neck, feeling each sharp intake of air through his fingertips.

Ace's heart was pounding, Marco could feel it as his lips travelled lower across his muscled and equally freckled chest. He felt the other's groan before he heard it as fingers tangled into his hair.

"Marco," Ace called his name, clearly out of breath. "What are you doing?"

Marco kissed another trail of freckles, following a pattern only he could see as he had spent countless insomnia-ridden nights following the same path with his eyes as the other slept. They were simply mesmerizing. His hands wrapped around protruding hip bones as he pulled himself up to face the younger man, but not without kissing wherever he could.

"I'm counting stars," he said with a smile, finally kissing the other's lips. He could almost feel Ace roll his eyes at the cheesy statement, but he also felt the smile making its way on the freckled man's lips. Ace was made aware of Marco's 'freckle kink', as he liked to call it, and neither seemed to mind; except in the rare occasions Ace became impatient.

The blond moved again, his lips trailing another set of freckles across Ace's shoulders and chest, smiling at every single gasp and moan that reached his ears. It was rewarding in itself to give Ace the admiration he so deserved and seemed to like, despite the blush staining his cheeks.

"Marco," Ace whined, clearly done with the little game, but still enjoying it if the hard-on he was sporting was any indication. Marco couldn't be bothered with it, however. He enjoyed it; he enjoyed the time they had together and they had all the time in the world, as far as he was concerned. Once again, his tongue trailed patterns on the other's skin, the room slowly filling with strained moans and threats coming from the younger's mouth, but Marco continued his ministrations.

The freckles practically screamed 'Ace' and he couldn't help but love them.


	19. Paint (vikingAU pt.2)

The sun had yet to rise, he knew so even without opening his eyes. Leaving the warm covers was becoming more difficult with every morning he woke tangled into the heat of another body. With winter just around the corner, Marco was ashamed to admit he'd rather stay in bed. The warmth around him stirred, a sign that Ace was almost awake as well. As a good slave should be, he thought with amusement. The other wasn't exactly a slave anymore, more like a part of their family really.

Marco finally opened his eyes, noting immediately that he was right; the sun wasn't out yet and the fire was dying out as he observed it. With a quick glance to the messy head of black hair, the blond untangled warm limbs from his waist and removed the thick layer of blankets and a warm pelt weighing him down. The cold hit him right away, making him regret his decision more than just slightly, but he still knew he had to. It was their last raid before winter and it would have to be a good one to get the through the upcoming months.

Ace moved under the pile of blankets, his head peeking out just the slightest, but he didn't seem to wake up just yet. Marco, in turn, hurried with pulling some clothes on before starting the fire once again. It didn't take long, not when he was really cold sitting there with his upper body bare and exposed to the frigid air. The room was lit with the fire's warm glow and, thankfully, the warmth as well. Marco sat in front of the fire, observing the flickering of flames. His hair was loose, the thin strands tickling his neck and falling into his face as he couldn't be bothered with moving.

Once again, he heard shifting in the pile behind him, only this time it was followed by footsteps and a warm touch on his shoulders. Ace lowered himself to the ground behind the blond, pressing himself to the other's back with his thighs on either side of the older warrior. Without a word, the so called slave slid his hands up the other's back, over his shoulders and neck until his fingers slipped into smooth blond hair. He gathered every strand, which admittedly wasn't a grand number seeing as the sides and the back of the blond's head were shaven clean only days ago. Carding his fingers through the longs hair, Ace pulled it back as Marco tilted his head to allow the other better access. Swiftly and with practiced ease, Ace started braiding the messy strands from the top of the blond's forehead until he reached the back of the other's head. Tying it together with a black string, his fingers continued through the till loose hair, braiding what was left before tying it with a small golden ring the blond always wore.

Allowing himself a few moments of silence more, Ace slid his hands back down the others neck, rubbing between the other's shoulder blades. His hands fell, however, as the blond moved, turning in his spot and facing Ace.

"You know a slave is supposed to be up before his master?" Marco asked, the teasing clear on his face as he smile at the freckled face before him. Ace, in turn, gave him a blank smile. Yes, he was aware that technically, he was still a slave; despite the fact no one treated him as such, especially not the man in front of him. Marco shifted, sitting cross legged on the floor as he pulled Ace into his lap without waiting for an answer.

"Forgive me, master," he replied with a roll of his eyes. He leaned to the side, pulling up a jar of dark blue paint to his side. "Now hold still," Ace told the amused looking blond as he dipped his index and middle finger into the thick gel like substance. One look at the other's face and Ace stopped with slight confusion at the strange look on his companion's face. "What?"

"Nothing," Marco chuckled, glancing at Ace's paint covered fingers in a silent request to continue what he was doing. Pressing his fingers to Marco's left cheekbone, Ace dragged the paint from one side under the other's eye, over his nose then continued until he reached the other cheekbone. Removing his hand from the blond's face, Ace leaned forward and kissed Marco for a brief moment.

He jolted in the other's lap as Marco cupped his cheek, lifting the other hand with a single paint covered finger. Ace observed with curiosity and excitement, first the hand then as the finger touched his cheek and he could no longer see it, he stared at Marco. The blond traced the same pattern Ace had done only a moment before and he didn't know what to think. Only the warriors Marco picked went on raids with him, only they wore his colors on their faces. Not him, however. He wasn't a warrior or a sailor, at least he wasn't supposed to be considering they took him as a slave on a raid months ago. Sure, he was never a real slave, but being one of Marco's raiders was the highest honor in his new home.

With a smile, Marco cupped his other cheek, holding his head gently as blue eyes stared straight into his soul.

"You're coming with us," Marco said and that was all there was to it. No one questioned the leader.


	20. Boom!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fifth element AU (or kinda a retelling of a scene)

If this wasn't a shitty day, Ace didn't know what was. Aside the general black pit of loneliness that was his existence, save for the cat he adored more than he'd admit to anyone, he also only had one measly point left and he was being coaxed into taking his cab to the shop. The latter only served as the icing on his already horrible day and it was still morning.

With a scowl that was already a natural setting for his face, Ace took his battered cab out of the garage and into traffic that could only be described as mindnumbing. Well, maybe the day couldn't get any worse than it was, he thought with a mirthful smile, sincerely hoping that would be the case.

Of course, he hoped too soon as a loud crash sounded through the cab, the vehicle shaking violently with the force of a blow of unknown origin. He was coughing as the small space filled with dust, but considered himself lucky that nothing seemed to be broken. On him, at least, he noticed as he turned to the back seat and couldn't help but notice the huge hole in the roof of his car. Well, shit.

Something actually fell through the roof of his cab. Movement from the back seat and a slight groan of pain alerted him to the fact that something was actually a someone, making the situation more weird. He tapped on the glass, asking the mystery person whether they were hurt. There wasn't much he could do through the glass and he was so done with this shit, it wasn't even funny anymore.

His passenger shot up, startling Ace for a moment with the sheer suddenness of it before he managed to look at the face before him. He certainly wasn't expecting a pale man with a tuff of blond hair and piercing blue eyes to stare at him. He seemed equally surprised and startled, one hand pressed against the cold glass between them. The spell lasted only a fraction of a moment, seeming like an eternity to Ace nonetheless, before the blond started talking in haste about something, presumably an injury he suffered. It would all be a lot easier if he could actually understand the language the blond was using.

Ace tried to make sense of anything the other was saying or trying to show him, but the extent of their understanding was a single word, if it could even be called that. "Boom," the blond said, signaling to the hole above his head. Well, Ace didn't need the mysterious and, as he noticed a bit belatedly, almost naked man to tell him that, he'd get an earful about the roof in no time.

Whatever he was planning on saying or doing next was cut off as a bright light fixed on the side of his car, a policeman telling him to open the back door and let them take the fugitive. He was adamant about it for a brief moment, but he knew very well he couldn't afford to get into trouble again. He was sorry, really, but he couldn't help the stranger. Even if he didn't understand the language, the blond seemed to understand the bad turn his situation took as Ace opened the door at last.

He didn't look back at the blond, deeming it a good decision because he most likely wouldn't be able to stand the pleading look the stranger was no doubt shooting his way.

"P..please... he...help," he heard beyond the glass and frowned. No, he wasn't supposed to feel guilty. This was just a stranger than ruined his car and got him into trouble. "Pl...please," the blond muttered again and Ace tried to pretend he didn't hear the other's voice crack. "Help." No, the blond wasn't crying, it was his imagination, he didn't hear a sob at the end of the word.

The police was still waiting, the door was open and Ace really didn't want to make the blond get out. Another barely audible sob followed by a sniffle reached his ears and he was done. He couldn't turn the blond down, not after that. With a curse on his lips and a list of all the bad decisions he had made through his life, now with another one added to the end, passing through his head, Ace closed the door of his cab and sped into traffic, set on losing the cops and helping the now broadly smiling blond on his back seat.

And no, the smile didn't look attractive at all. Not even the tiniest bit, he tried to reason.


	21. The perfect circle

The mountain wasn't that big, the climb only taking him half a day's hike, but it was covered in snow with the wind howling around him. Ace was pushing through it all with a clear goal in his mind. It didn't really matter to him what he'd find on top of that mountain, it was the fact his father never managed to find it. Whatever 'it' may be. He was, however, sure where he'd find it if it was indeed there; the village elder advise he moved along the stream, following it up into the snow covered rocks until he reached the spring. It was the whole foundation of their existence in the snowy climate, surely he would find his answers there.

With squinted eyes, Ace trudged through the thick snow. He could no longer feel his nose nor half of his face, thanks to the wind sending snowflakes on the tiniest bit of exposed skin, but it didn't matter much. All he could think about was the sound of water on his left. It wouldn't be long, at least he hoped so as the tiredness he ignored so far started catching up to him. Even with all his determination, he was only human.

The stream was getting narrower, less water flowing over the rocks and Ace knew he was close. The snow was falling more gently, the wind nothing but a breeze as he broke through the dark fog and found himself under the sun. They were clouds, he realized, he walked through the clouds themselves to reach the highest peak of the mountain.

No, it wasn't the highest peak. In front of him were more rocks to climb, more snowy clouds covering the mountain, but he stood at a clearing with none of the bad weather he climbed through. It was only him and an icy boulder that seemed to be the spring itself, the beginning of the peaceful stream that turned into a mighty river as it rolled down the mountain.

He saw nothing but the ice, the strangely smooth ice that looked as if it didn't belong, but then again, the perfect circle of sunshine and lack of snow was also odd on a mountain covered in anything but snow. With a hasty decision of camping there until rested before resuming his quest, Ace let his backpack fall to the ground before stepping closer to the ice. He could see it clearly, the ice melting at the front, pooling between the rocks before flowing down into the snow.

Ace fell to his knees, mesmerized by the crystal clear water for a moment before slipping his hands out of the gloves and dipping them into the liquid. It felt...different. Not at all like the water they drank from the same stream. He washed his face, his body consumed by the feeling of fatigue lifting from his shoulders and his aches mended in a matter of seconds.

Lifting his gaze towards the ice, Ace noticed something in it. He wasn't quite sure what so he stepped closer, lifting his gaze higher and froze with his mouth agape. Staring back at him was a pair of blue eyes, as blue as the water behind him. The face trapped behind the ice was pale, stoic with half lidded eyes and a mouth pressed into a straight line. Blond hair remained froze as if floating in the water, the long tresses resembling a halo of sorts around the emotionless face. While the face remained still, the body seemed to have been frozen in motion with one hand stretched out right in front of Ace, the palm seeming as it would break through the thin layer at any moment.

Ace was stunned; he had found it. He didn't understand, but it was clear that his was his goal all along. With a slow, almost unconscious movement, he lifted his hand and hesitated for a brief moment before pressing his palm against the one encased in ice.

That was all it took. The sound of ice cracking thundered through the air and Ace was sure it could be hear miles down the mountain and all the way to his village. Yet he still stood there with his hand on the ice as all the other around him crashed. It broke into the tiniest of pieces, shards flying around him, few hitting him, tearing his clothes and the skin of his face. He stood still, no matter what, because he could feel a warm hand touching his own with the dust like ice prickling his skin.

He had found it.


	22. Ink

It was finally his turn, Ace decided as he pushed Marco on the bed in the first mate's room. The blond offered no resistance, instead smiling as gravity pulled him to the perfectly arranged sheets. He immediately pulled himself up to the headboard as Ace loomed by the foot of the bed, his eyes roaming over the other's constantly uncovered chest. He leaned down just enough to pull Marco's sandals off as well as dispose of his own boots before his knees sank onto the soft mattress.

He lowered himself further, resting with his hands on either side of his surprisingly compliant lover as he tipped his head lower. Marco responded to this, lifting his chin in an attempt to kiss the younger man's lips yet failing as Ace moved just out of reach. He had to admit, the needier side of his usually stoic lover was very endearing.

As soon as Marco settled back down, Ace lowered his head again, pressing his lips to the corner of Marco's mouth before grazing down his jaw. Marco's breath hitched, but he knew better than to move, holding his hands by his sides as Ace's mouth moved down his neck. Ace leaned back for a moment, grabbing the other's shirt and pulling him up just enough to slide said shirt off his shoulders before dumping it over the side of the bed. With a firm press of his hand, Ace pushed the blond back down, following him as his mouth connected with Marco's collarbone.

The touch of his lips was soft, feather light as they slid down onto ink covered skin. The dark blue tattoo of their captain's mark stood in stark contrast with Marco's skin yet it was equally smooth to the touch. It was Whitebeard's mark yet it was something Ace considered a part of the blond and admired it just as much. It reflected everything Marco stood for, everything Marco held dear and Ace couldn't help but adore it even more.

Starting at the top of the cross, Ace kissed across the dark surface, following the line down over the other's chest and abdomen. His tongue darting out here and there, eliciting a quiet gasp from the blond as he, no doubt, knew what exactly Ace was doing. Dragging his head back up, Ace nuzzled his nose over the same line he had traced with his lips before moving to the horizontal line of the cross. His tongue strayed from the path of the tattoo to flick over the other's nipple with a smirk before continuing his worship of the blue ink. As he reached the end of the cross, his lips pressed harder into Marco's skin just above his already frantic heartbeat.

Even with a stoic face, Marco couldn't hide what he felt from Ace. With a smile on his face, Ace pressed his lips on the tip of the crescent and kissed along it, Marco's hands finally making their way onto his hips. Ace slowed in the middle, nuzzling into warm skin and the sound of the other's heartbeat before continuing the last bit of his path.

Marco was breathing harder, but his mask of indifference remained the same as ever. He smiled, pulling himself up until his breath mingled with Marco's for a moment before he finally closed the distance between them.

The blond smiled into the kiss and Ace knew the other enjoyed letting go for once.

 


	23. Fly

The tent was packed full, mostly by families with small children that couldn't resist but visit the extraordinary circus passing through town. Ace felt slightly odd, sitting in the audience that mostly consisted of families or happy couples on dates, but he had come there anyway.

As soon as he saw the posters around town, Ace had known it was the same circus he had seen all those years ago. Well, fine, only seven years ago when he was twelve, but still, it felt like an eternity to him. He was almost wiggling in his seat from excitement, wondering if that boy he had met was still part of the circus and if he had managed to achieve his goal. Even after all that time, Ace still considered that thirteen year old boy a friend. One of the few friends he actually had.

The old man running the show stood in the middle of the tent, speaking with a loud voice in order to calm the audience and announce the next act, but Ace was barely listening. His eyes were everywhere trying to locate the blond head of hair he remembered, that he, granted, didn't even know was still there. Or, if he was, what he looked like. After all, he did probably look a bit different at the age of twenty than he had when he was thirteen.

Still, the old man in the red coat continue until a name caught his ear.

"The Moby Dick circus is very proud to present our very own trapeze artist, Marco the Phoenix!"

The crowd clapped and Ace immediately perked up, sitting straight in his seat to get the best view he could. It was exciting, he finally found out about his friend! He'd made it. Ace was happy for him, a small smile gracing his features as he waited for Marco to appear. The lights dimmed and a spotlight lit up, pointed at the small platform high above the ground. Ace immediately looked up and his mouth fell open in surprise.

Sure, it had been seven years, but he had not expected Marco to change as much as he did. Instead of the lanky pale teenager Ace had so vividly in his mind, the platform held a tall blond man with defined muscles covered in blue ink. Whether it was all a tattoo or body paint, Ace couldn't tell from the distance, but it gave him an air of mystery and definitely justified the name of phoenix. His upper body was bare as were his feet, only his legs covered with deep blue pants adorned with a golden belt over a light blue sash.

Ace's eyes were glued to him as he glanced over the audience, despite it being covered in darkness to an extent, before gripping at the trapeze and pushing off the platform. Ace couldn't take his eyes off the blue form soaring through the air. He moved with grace, the light flickering around him, reflecting off his torso and Ace could have sworn he was on fire like a genuine phoenix. The entire audience was in awe, hushed by the performance as Marco flew above them without a safety net.

In a flash, it was all over and Ace snapped out of his daze as the lights turned back on. Marco disappeared from sight as a kimono wearing man with black hair appeared in the middle with an obedient lion following behind. He tried being interested, really, but he simply couldn't sit still anymore.

With some trouble, Ace wriggled out of his seat and the row, ignoring the disgruntled people he disturbed in the middle of the show and made his way outside. The field around the tent was empty; or at least the part in front of the entrance, considering the back was littered with trailers and trucks with cages for the animals. The gentle summer breeze ruffled his hair and he closed his eyes, enjoying the serene atmosphere with the faint sound of laughter reaching him from the tent. The more he thought about it, the more he felt leaving was the right thing to do. Marco probably didn't even remember him.

"You're not leaving already, are you?" a voice sounded from behind him and he snapped his eyes open before turning around. Before him stood the very same person he was almost completely intent on avoiding, with his hair ruffled and his inked skin still glistening from the sweat. "I was hoping I'd see you again," he added in the voice that, embarrassingly, derailed Ace's thoughts in a way he never thought it would.

Ace smiled at Marco, knowing he would be even more screwed up next time the circus left town.


	24. King (royalty pt.1)

Crackling of fire made the perfect sound as night fell and enveloped the world as far as they could see. Not that either of them was really looking beyond each other as they lay in bed. The fire illuminated the room, spreading heat to ward of the chill of the night. Marco was on his back, comfortable on the soft mattress as Ace lay nestled into his side. The younger man was smiling as his arm rested over the other's middle, sharing each other's warmth through simple skin contact under the soft blankets.

Marco kissed the top of Ace's head, nuzzling the soft hair for a moment before whispering.

"I love you," he said just loud enough for Ace to hear despite them being alone in Marco's bed chamber. Only the two guards stationed in front of his door knew Ace was even in there, but the blond trusted them. They had kept his secret for long enough already and he felt a bit bad for it, but it would be over soon. Marco knew it was less than a day before they left and he could barely wait. He shifted to his side, pulling Ace as close as possible as he buried his face into the smooth black strands. Ace simply chuckled at the action, but didn't pull away.

"Only a day more and we're free," Ace whispered. Marco could hear the smile in his voice and couldn't help but smile back. Yes, they would be free.

The door flew open and startled them both, making them sit up in bed as a dozen of the king's men entered the room, followed by the king himself. Marco could feel Ace shake next to him, but neither said a word as the guards surrounded the bed. Two of them approached and grabbed Ace, pulling him out of the warm comfort of the blankets and Marco's embrace. The movement snapped Marco out of his stunned state and he leaped from the bed, disregarding his naked state as he was more concerned about Ace. Ace that was looking at him with fear in his eyes and a soft whisper of his name on the younger man's lips as the guards pulled him further from Marco's reach.

He was so close, his feet on the cold floor as he attempted to follow, only to be held back by several other guards.

"No!" he screamed, breaking the monotonous thudding of footsteps on the stone floor as the hands holding him back tightened their grip. The king moved for the first time, backhanding Marco across the face as he yelled back.

"You will be king!" he screamed with obvious rage on his face before he turned to the door. "Lock that deviant into the dungeons," he added with a calmer voice.

Ace finally screamed, the only word leaving his lips being Marco's name and it broke the blond's heart into what felt like countless sharp pieces ripping through his chest. The sound, however did nothing to help him as the guards gripped harder while taking him away through what felt like the worst cold he had encountered in his life.

Marco reached out in a futile attempt to grasp at Ace's equally outstretched arm, but they were already worlds apart. They had been so close to freedom.


	25. Pirates (royalty pt.2)

The sound of canon fire was heard even before the first canon ball hit the castle walls. It was followed by loud screaming and an abundance of footsteps rushing through the halls. The second hit was closer, shaking the building, but Marco didn't bother getting up from his spot on the bed. He wasn't allowed out of his room and even if he was, he didn't really care for much since he wasn't allowed to see Ace. If the freckled man was even alive and, honestly, Marco hoped that was the case instead of the younger man suffering whatever torture the king's men could think of.

It pained him to think about it either way and instead he tried focusing on the sound of destruction. At least that gave him a semblance of comfort, knowing that the man he hated was losing everything he held dear; his palace, the kingdom and his power. If not power, then at least the respect of his people as the pirates finally managed to reach the impenetrable stronghold. The panic in the halls was getting more obvious, but his door remained locked. The sound of walls crashing and glass breaking was overwhelming, but the sounds of humans soon faded from the hall in front of his room. How fitting it would be to be left there to die as the twisted person he was. At least according to the king.

Two thuds startled him, however, as they sounded nothing like the previous canon fire. Marco sat up in his bed and stared at the door as it was audibly being unlocked. It opened with a bang, hitting the wall as a person huddled into a heavy cloak burst into the room. The hood slid off as he ran and Marco's eyes filled with tears as he saw Ace's bruised, but smiling face. Words failed to form in his mouth as Ace jumped on him, his frame immediately shaking as the freckled man quietly sobbed in his ear.

"I'm so glad you're okay," he whispered and Marco snorted automatically before clutching at his lover's shoulders.

"I should be telling you that," Marco said, holding as tight as he could, determined he wouldn't let anyone take Ace this time.

"I hate to interrupt, but we really should go," another voice reached them and Marco glanced to the door, noticing Thatch standing there in a cloak similar to Ace's. He was actually surprised to see one of his usual guards in such a setting, getting more stunned by the situation as Izou entered the room with another cloak in his arms. "Wear this," he said, throwing the cloth at Marco with absolutely no acknowledgement that the blond was next in line to be king or anything. Stranger still, Ace moved off him and urged him to pull the garment on.

"Ace, how did you get out of the dungeon and where are we going?" Marco asked, but pulled the heavy fabric over his shoulders nonetheless.

"These two let me out and brought me clothes," Ace said with a soft smile, thought Marco could see the deep discomfort in the other's dark eyes.

"And we're going on that pirate ship," Thatch replied to the other part of his question. "They're waiting for us," he added with a smile before turning to the door, only to glance over his shoulder a moment later with a grin plastered on his face. "You're not a prince anymore."


	26. Fire

Ace lay on his back, his nails digging into the flesh of Marco's thighs as the blond knelt above him, trying to keep his thrusts in a torturously slow pace. The younger commander moaned, digging his nails deeper, drawing out soft blue flames from the crescent cuts. The licks of fire, however small, were only adding to the pleasure as Ace arched his back and Marco thrust deeper, his eyes fluttering shut.

The freckled man followed, closing his eyes as his hand gripped the back of Marco's neck, pulling the blond's face close. He pressed their lips together in a sloppy kiss, dragging his tongue over the blond's lips before diving in. Ace was losing it and Marco wasn't far behind as they kissed, the older still trying not to just pound his lover into the bed. Not that the other would mind in the slightest, but he concluded it was not the time for that.

Ace broke the kiss to gasp for air, drawing out a moan while Marco lowered his lips to the other's neck. The younger was never quiet in bed, but it seemed he was even louder this time. Still, Marco kept his eyes closed, his lips sucking at Ace's neck until he could almost feel a red mark forming. The heat around them seemed to intensify, tickling at his skin, making his own blue flames blossom across his skin. He was so close, they both were, as Marco continued his chaotic pace.

He barely heard the crash behind them over the euphoria coursing through his skin, flowing into Ace as they moved on the bed, but he felt the first bucket of water hit his back. Finally, Marco opened his eyes and realized the heat in the room was very real, coming from the actual fire consuming the room around them. Ace came to his senses too as they were doused with more water, bringing the heat and the fire to subside.

It was only then that Marco realized they, or rather Ace, set the room on fire and that there were other commanders in the room. While they were still on the bed, stark naked. With fear in his veins, Marco turned to the scowling faces of Izo, Thatch and Vista. He was fairly sure he blushed just as Ace did, though he had half a mind to hope he didn't turn that scarlet.

Thatch flung the empty bucket at Marco's head, missing it by an inch and hitting Ace instead.

"You two should stop having sex on the ship," Izo said with a grim voice as a few others peeked into the devastated room. "One of the newer members went to inform Pops, by the way."

Marco and Ace grimaced as Izo spoke, only to have their blushes drain as the old man's laughter shook the ship.

"At least he's taking it well this time," Ace said, completely ignoring the fact that, yes, Marco was still inside him and there were several other people in the room. Well, not like they haven't seen it before.


	27. Carpet burns

It was too hot to function in Marco's humble opinion. He was never much of a fan of summer, but this particular year was horrible. At least when it came to the heat, really, other aspects of the particular summer were beyond great. For example, he was almost home where Ace was waiting for him. Sure, it wasn't great he had to work while Ace was on break, but they still got to spend a lot of time together. Even if Ace looked really out of place in the suburbs.

Marco was grinning as he pulled into the wide street, passing the houses with big front yards on his way to his own house that felt far more like home with Ace there. The grin, however, melted into confusion as he slowed down just before reaching his house.

A few of his neighbors, more specifically the several young ladies he sometimes caught staring at him, were standing on the sidewalk across from his house. He even saw old lady Charlotte that lived next door peeking over the hedges which was far more suspicious. And creepy.

It wasn't long before he found out the object of their attention as he pulled over into his driveway. Well, as far as he could considering half of the paved surface was covered by the blue carpet from the living room. That, in itself, was fairly weird, Marco could agree with that. He didn't even pay attention to the fact the driveway and said carpet were soaking wet, really. The problem, however, lay in the fact that Ace was shirtless on that same carpet on all fours, scrubbing at the sudsy surface with one of the brushes Marco knew he kept in the closet with the cleaning supplies.

Ace's position was one Marco had seen enough times before, though those were usually more intimate situations without an audience.

Marco got out of the car and Ace grinned as he stared up at him.

"Hey, you're home early!" he said as he lifted himself from his hands, revealing just how wet he himself was as well.

"Ace, what are you doing?" Marco asked with several glances at the women across the street that were clearly enjoying the view as much as he was. Ace simply shrugged.

"I was bored, the carpet was dirty," he said as if it made sense. "Why don't you help me?" he asked with a suggestive waggle of his eyebrows that succeeded only in suggesting that Ace wanted Marco out of his dress shirt. The blond had nothing against such a development, but the dreamy sighs reaching his ears alerted him to the audience they had and the fact they also heard Ace's suggestion.

"Why don't you rinse the carpet out and come inside before you burn?" Marco asked, thought it was hardly meant as a question. Especially since he heard the disappointment from the women across the street and, more disturbingly, from the old lady next door.

Ace chuckled and stood up, revealing the redness of his knees. Who knew carpet burns could happen on wet carpets too? Ace noticed as well, glancing down for a moment before looking at Marco once again.

"Well, I guess you're going to spend some time on your knees tonight instead~"


	28. Phoenix

He woke with a wave of pain coursing through him, hands clutching at the sheets as the rest of his body shook with violent tremors. Cold sweat was soaking the bed beneath him, but that was far from Ace’s mind at the moment. Managing a gasp, he curled on his side in a feeble attempt at containing the pain and the ice seemingly tearing his body to pieces, coursing to the middle of his chest where the cold dread pinned him down in a violent burst.

The king was dead.

No. His father was dead.

Ace knew he should probably feel sadness or the dull throb of losing one’s last family member, but instead, all he felt was the frigid touch of dread at what had just happened and, even more so, at what he knew would follow. Now that the king’s bond was broken with him, Ace knew it would be only a matter of moments before the other bond his father had would be broken as well, transferring to him as the next in line for the throne. The throne he did not want.

He had a moment to lament how humans probably had a less painful way of passing the throne from father to son when, in a heartbeat, the ice was replaced by fire, scorching and all consuming, burning the new connection into him. With a flash of blue, the phoenix appeared above his bed, its dark eyes boring straight into Ace’s as the magic bound them together; the king and his phoenix.

The hideous golden collar around the bird’s neck seemed to glare at his as well, the sharp edges of gold that looked as uninviting as the crown that belonged to him now, as reluctant as Ace was about it. Even the dull dark stones of the collar were hard to look at, just the thought draining the natural power that lay inside him.

Ace wanted none of this, not the throne or the crown or the damn bird that had no place in their kingdom. The embodiment of all things good, that was what his father had called the phoenix when Ace foolishly asked as a child. He was proud as he said it, Ace recalled, proud to hold a creature of pure goodness inside the heart of darkness he ruled. It was sickening, the thought of replacing his father, being bound to a creature that did not belong in the realm, the both of them doomed to each other’s presence until Ace followed in the footsteps of kings before him, going insane before death claimed him.

“ _The king is dead_.”

The voice shook him and Ace sat up in bed, shocked that there was no one around but the bird on top of his blanket. Each word was laced with prickles of ice and Ace tried his hardest not to think of the insanity already, not before he even sat on the throne. Ice invaded his mind again and he couldn’t stop the shudder running down his spine.

“ _Long live the king_.”

                                                                               


	29. Curiosity

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Modern AU, journalist and detective

He wasn’t technically a real journalist, as most of his current co-workers would gladly point out, but it was summer and the paper needed substitute writers and Ace was the one standing in the midday sun with a dead body just out of reach, so yeah, he thought he deserved to call himself a journalist just for the pains he had to  endure. Too bad the police officers on the scene weren’t too happy with the presence of the press and therefore rendered his newfound resolve absolutely worthless. No one but the police was allowed past the perimeter set by the officers in uniforms and the body was already covered with a really depressing looking tarp. Still, he did manage to actually see the poor girl and it was a sight he’d hopefully forget, though realistically, Ace knew he never would. There was absolutely nothing for him to do at this point except bake in the sun and hope that he’ll spot the lead detective to get some info out of him while the full-time reporters got to hide from the sun as they talked to the people living in buildings around the crime scene. Ace should have packed water. Of course, he didn’t. He hated summer.

As opposed to the guy in a Hawaiian shirt walking towards the police tape that was just short of melting in the sun. Ace was about to snort at the morbid curiosity people displayed whenever there was a crime in the city, even going as far as to gawk at a crime scene when the guy was clearly on his way to the beach. Except, the uniformed officer lifted the tape and let the guy pass onto the crime scene. 

Despite his choice of attire, the guy was probably someone from the police. It didn’t matter, though, none of them were inclined to share information yet anyway and he didn’t exactly look like the spokesperson for the police. Just as swiftly as he appeared, Hawaiian shirt guy was gone in the blink of an eye, moving past the tape and towards the road once again. In a second that took to make a decision, Ace took off and ran towards him, hoping to catch the guy and maybe get at least something for his trouble. The heat filled his lungs as soon as he started running, almost suffocating him as new sweat streamed down his back. It really was too hot. 

And Ace wasn’t minding his step, tripping just within touching distance of the car his target just got into. Barely keeping himself from toppling over, Ace only managed to catch a glimpse of an amused smirk through the car window before the Hawaiian shirt guy turned towards the road and drove off. Figuring not all was lost as he managed to memorize a part of the license plate, Ace turned back to the crime scene and went looking for his photographer. He really did hate summer, he thought once again as sweat soaked his back.

He located Sabo just as Red came back from his task of talking to people in the neighboring buildings. It came as an immense relief when they were informed to go back to the office and Ace could almost feel the AC just thinking about it. Their work was hardly done, though, and as Red settled on his desk to write out his interviews and Sabo left to sift through his photos of the crimes scene, Ace felt incentive to do something too. 

Somehow, calling the police and asking questions seemed like a good idea; he knew someone would have to do it eventually and considering there was nothing for him to do at the moment, he might as well get on with it. The spokesman didn’t want to tell him anything at first before revealing that he actually had no idea because the detective in charge had yet to talk to them. 

Not one to give up, Ace started calling the precinct number, replacing the last zero with random numbers to bypass the station’s central line and just go straight to various desks. No one was answering on the first five numbers. Ace’s faith in law enforcement dropped just slightly. At least until finally someone picked up, managing to restore that faith. Not at first, of course, since the woman he talked to wasn’t even on this case and knew nothing, but his hunch to ask about the car mister Hawaiian shirt guy left in paid off. 

“That sounds like a homicide department car,” she said idly and Ace could have screamed in triumph. Hawaiian shirt guy was obviously a detective.

“The guy driving it was blond and had a tacky Hawaiian shirt on, could you tell me who that is?” he asked with a lot of hope he knew would be easily heard in his voice.

The reply came in the form of laughter before the woman collected herself. “That sounds like M,” she said without elaborating further. Knowing this was all he’d get, Ace hung up before dialing the front desk of the precinct and asking to be connected to Homicide. 

“Yes?” a bored yet slightly annoyed voice answered.

“Hi, I’m Ace Portgas of the Enquirer, I’d like to speak to M?” he asked, cringing at how silly it sounded. Almost as if he were in a Bond movie. 

“We have nothing to say about the murder as it is an ongoing investigation.” The guy still sounded bored, though slightly apprehensive.

“You’re M, aren’t you?” Ace asked with triumph. “Just tell me if you ID-ed the victim.”

“Curiosity killed the cat, mister Portgas.”

“But satisfaction brought it back, detective.” Ace was sure they knew who the victim was, but clearly the police wasn’t keen on sharing. He did have an ace up his sleeve, so to speak, after seeing the body earlier. “Did you ask the owner of Amazon Lily if your victim had trouble with any customers?”

Ace could clearly hear shifting on the other end of the line as if the detective sat up in his chair abruptly. “How do you know she worked at Amazon Lily?” The tone of his voice turned cold and calculating, enough for Ace to realize they didn’t know she worked there or at least hadn’t made contact with Hancock yet. It was certainly information only few people should know about.

“Her earrings,” Ace elaborated, thankful just this once that Hancock managed to get Luffy into her very exclusive club with promises of meat. “All of their staff wear those earrings as part of the uniform. Kinda hard to miss them.” They were huge, gold and shaped like a skull surrounded by snake heads. 

Clacking of computer keys could be heard through the phone. Well, looks like Ace just gave them a lead.

“I didn’t know about that,” M told him, sounding very surprised. 

“Now that I helped with the investigation, you could give me something too. Building mutual trust and all that,” Ace said, knowing they’d be the first ones with the victim’s ID if he got it now. Of course, now he can also go to Hancock and hope she’d be willing to help him too. Even if asking which one of their employees was dead might not be a good way to secure cooperation from anyone. “What’s her name?”

“Ah, now, I never said we found out who she is,” M said and all Ace could think of to describe his tone of voice was ‘pure sass’. “Now if you’ll excuse me…” he trailed off and Ace could the detective was about to hang up.

“Then you’ll hear from me again when I find out who she is,” Ace said, ready to hang up as well when he heard the detective muttering into the phone.

“God, I hope not.”


	30. Christmas

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Christmas card drabble for Imperial Mint <3

The grand hall was decked with candles and golden decorations, crystal snowflakes and glowing stars hanging from the high vaulted ceiling on strings delicate enough to remain unseen by the casual observer. From Marco’s vantage point on the throne, the view was a stunning one and Marco’s favorite part of the whole charade that is the feast held for the nobles of the court each year. Marco wasn’t a fan of most of the nobles any time of the year, but Christmas seemed to bring out the worst in them. 

As soon as the first far too young daughter of a duke aiming for his throne was shoved his way as a possible wife, or even mistress, some weren’t very picky in this regard, Marco stood and excused himself. The festivities would continue deep into the night, he knew, but couldn’t force himself to participate. He had always loved winter and the holidays which is why he refused to let anyone ruin it for him. 

His guards left him at the massive oak doors leading to his apartments and as soon as he entered the sitting room, Marco could breathe a little easier. He let the festive robes fall from his shoulders and pool on the floor, leaving them there as he rid himself of the crown, setting it gently on a side table by the fireplace. His boots were the last to go before he made his way towards the doors to his bedchamber. 

Humming reached him as he opened the door, making him smile for the first time that night before he entered the room and found Ace stoking the fire as he sat on the thick carpet in front of the fireplace. 

“I missed you at dinner,” Marco said, closing the door behind him to put up yet another barrier between his safe haven and the court beyond his chambers. 

“I wanted to wait for you here,” Ace said without turning around. “I know how much you hate dealing with them.” With that he stood and turned towards Marco with a smile, only grinning when Marco approached with a quick step, arms snaking around Ace’s middle until he was being lifted off the carpet. Ace laughed, loud and happy, filling Marco with warmth at last and he found himself laughing as well. 

“I don’t hate dealing with them,” Marco said, “I’d just rather deal with you.” He moved then, towards the bed with Ace still in his arms, his feet bumping into Marco’s shins as he walked. It was far from the most comfortable way to carry someone, but Ace still laughed the entire time, fingers carding through Marco’s hair.

“Wait, I have a present for you,” Ace said, interrupted by a yelp as he was thrown on the soft bed, Marco following after him immediately. He lay on his side, face hidden in the crook of Ace’s neck as he pulled Ace close, holding onto him with tightly until Ace’s hands returned into his hair.

“Later,” he said, content to simply lay there with Ace for the moment.


	31. Firemen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: Marco/Ace Fireman!Au where Ace isn't happy to join this new team, expecially when they ask him to pose for their calendar

"I've got the roster for the calendar!" one of the men shouted as he walked into the common area of the firehouse holding up a large yellow envelope. Ace hadn't bothered to remember their names yet even though he'd been there for a week already. It didn't even matter, really, since he didn't consider himself part of the team unless they were putting out a fire and had to work together. His hostility stayed in the firehouse when they were out on a job, knowing there was no place for something like that out in a fire.

So when whichever fireman just walked in with the envelope, Ace wasn't amongst the men that ran over to see whatever it was. He may have been just a tiny bit curious, but that was for him to know and no one else to find out.

"Aw come on, I'm not in it this year?" Thatch whined. Ace had to smile at that, though he hid it quickly; Thatch was easy to remember and even easier to like so Ace didn't feel too bad about it.

"Who picks these anyway? It looks very biased to me!" Thatch whined some more and the others laughed at him a bit. "Look, even Ace's in it and he only joined, how is that fair? No offence, Ace!" Thatch shouted the last part towards where Ace was sitting, but Ace was focusing on different parts of what Thatch had said.

"Ace is in what?" Ace asked, narrowing his eyes at the group of men, all of which were now looking at him.

"In the firemen's charity calendar," Thatch said like it was obvious.

"You're February," one of the others added helpfully, as if that made things more clear.

"I'm..." he started, though had no idea how to continue. He snapped out of it, though, before glaring at the lot of them. "I'll have no part in this, Thatch can take my spot."

"Thatch can do what now?" Marco asked calmly as he entered the common area from the direction of the captain's office. He was the only other member of the squad whose name Ace remembered mostly because he was the lieutenant and maybe just a tiny bit hot.

"Ace says I can be Mister February, woohoo!" Thatch shouted happily and loud enough to drown out Ace's snort of amusement. He couldn't show Thatch was growing on him, then they might think he'd want to stay which he didn't.

"It's not Ace's decision." Marco's voice cut through the cacophony of Thatch's cheers, silencing him immediately. "This is for charity and if Ace is on the list for February, then he's going to be on the calendar for February."

Ace felt anger boiling in his gut. "I'm not posing for some stupid calendar if Thatch wants to do it instead of me," he said, eyes boring into Marco's. "You can't tell me what to do."

"I am your superior," Marco said, his eyebrow arching, "so technically I can tell you what to do. But you don't really have a choice here because the photographer picked you and no one says no to Robin."

That made Ace stop because he knew that name. His former firehouse was picked for the calendar a few years ago and, even though he wasn't in the twelve men chosen, Ace had heard stories. "Oh God," he mumbled. "Not Robin."

Marco only nodded solemnly, still looking at Ace. "I'm January," he added with a grimace.

"Welcome to the team, Portgas. You're one of us now whether you like it or not," Jozu said with a wide grin and Ace wasn't sure whether he liked the sound of that or not.


	32. Hello (soulmates AU pt.1)

The first time it happened, Ace almost missed it. He'd overslept and was running late for class, making him rush through his morning routine before literally running out the door and towards the school. It wasn't until he lifted his hand to write on the whiteboard that he'd seen the small heart scribbled on the back of his left hand. The kids noticed it too, immediately asking if he had a girlfriend that drew him hearts, not knowing that it wasn't Ace's hand the heart had been drawn on.

The second time it happened, Ace almost missed it again. He was out with Sabo on a Saturday night, having a beer and lamenting how he was getting too old for going out to bars, when he saw a number being written on the palm of his hand with a woman's name underneath. The reason he almost missed it was that not even ten minutes later, it was gone. There was no keeping it from Sabo at that point, though, and Ace figured there were worse people who could find out that he apparently had a soulmate now.

The third time, though, it wasn't Ace who noticed.

"Mr. Ace, my dad writes reminders on his hand like that too!" Haruta said excitedly, hand waving in the air even though he didn't wait for Ace to call his name before speaking, considering he was turned to the board, writing out what the kids had to make for art homework.

It made him pause enough to look at the back of his hand to notice that he did, in fact, have a short list of things written there in a small tidy handwriting.

"Sometimes he lets me draw hearts and stars there in the morning, for good luck!" Haruta added with a wide grin and Ace could only smile back, trying not to panic at the prospect that the father of one of his students might be his soulmate. Especially this particular father, but he'd cross that bridge when he got to it.

"That's very nice of you, Haruta," Ace said, "I'm sure he appreciates it." And that was it on the subject before he let the kids go for the day.

He hadn't given this soulmates thing a thought until then, when it became obvious to him that this was a real person behind the marks he'd been seeing. Until then, it was easy to forget that there was actually someone on the other side of this connection.

Ace sat at his desk at the front of the classroom, debating what he should do about this. One the one hand, he was in his thirties, single and not opposed to a relationship. On the other hand, though, this was possibly (probably) the parent of one of his students. He gave it some thought before grabbing a marker and uncapping it before he settled on what to write. With a steady hand, Ace pressed the tip of the marker to his skin before he could change his mind.

Barely a moment later, he set the marker down and stared nervously at the back of his hand, two neatly written words staring back: 'Hello, soulmate'.


	33. Matchmaker (soulmaes AU pt.2)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> second and last part of this AU. 
> 
> also i imagine ace in his mid 30s, marco in his late 30s and haruta as 7 years old.

The writing on his hand appeared suddenly and seemingly unprovoked, and Marco hadn't even noticed that he suddenly had a soulmate. There was no way to tell when that had happened precisely, because the person on the other side must have known for at least a short while before writing such a specific message. Or it was something they did on a regular basis, on the off chance that it would take once and reach their soulmate.

Either way, Marco had no idea when it happened. His hands have been covered with the usual array of scribbles, reminders and doodles from Haruta lately and he honestly couldn't say which one went through. For all he knew, it could have been the number that woman wrote on his hand when Thatch had dragged him out for a drink while Haruta spent the weekend with their old man.

Instead of worrying too much about it, though, Marco found the nearest pen before washing off whatever it was he'd written on his hand. He knew whoever the other person was, they could see the ink disappearing. Without a second thought, Marco wrote down his phone number and his name underneath, knowing it would be a better way of communication.

Everything after that was surprisingly easy, the texting and the phone calls, even with knowing that it was Haruta's teacher on the other side. It should have been awkward on all accounts, yet it wasn't in the slightest, not even when they ran into each other for the first time since the connection happened and Haruta all but tackled Ace.

"Mister Ace!" he yelled as he ran through the grocery store aisle, only stopping when he was in danger of knocking Ace over.

"Haruta," Ace said, seemingly trying to look serious, but Marco could see the hint of a smile as he approached them at a more normal pace. "What's the hurry?"

"I just wanted to say hi!" Haruta said excitedly before turning to Marco. "Dad, look it's Mister Ace!"

Ace looked up at him then, looking almost surprised at seeing him, but then he smiled softly and Marco couldn't help but think that whatever force decided which people would be soulmates made the right choice with them.

"Hello, Mister Ace," Marco said, probably doing a poor job of keeping the amusement off his face.

Ace just shook his head, a smile obvious on his lips. "I think just Ace is fine," he said, stepping a bit closer as he extended his hand. "It's a pleasure to see you again."

Marco took his hand, shaking it for a moment. "You too," he said, smiling like a complete besotted idiot. Ace looked just like Marco felt; giddy, but containing it because they'd only found out they were soulmates and there was no need to get ahead of themselves. Marco had Haruta to think about and Ace understood that perfectly and it only made Marco fall just a bit harder.

"Aren't you going to kiss?" Haruta asked, making them both startle.

"Why would you say that?" Marco asked, noting the wide eyed, doe caught in the headlights look on Ace's face. He should have been too old to pull that off, and yet he looked completely adorable.

"Uncle Thatch says that soulmates kiss," Haruta replied as if it explained everything. "Mister Ace had the heart I drew you on his hand last week so that means you're soulmates, right? You should kiss then."

Marco was momentarily astound at the perceptiveness of his kid.

"Why don't we have dinner first?" Marco asked, smiling at Haruta before he lifted his gaze towards Ace. "If you're free tonight. I'll cook," he added and enjoyed the bright smile that appeared on Ace's face.

"I'd love to."


	34. Ballet

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> guess who's working on a ballet AU for one of my multichapter projects

Raising Luffy came with a fair amount of difficulties, just as Ace had predicted, but they were mostly unlike anything he was counting on. If bribed with the proper treat, he would do his homework and put his toys away without much of a fuss, but he insisted on watching every single boxing match and documentary available on TV.

Ace was told that should have worried him, and perhaps it would have if Luffy became more prone to getting into fights in school, but that wasn't what happened. Instead, Ace found himself in front of the doors of a ballet studio, barely keeping Luffy from barreling inside in his excitement.

"You're completely sure you want to do this?" Ace asked, glancing down at Luffy who was almost hanging off his arm with a huge grin on his face. "I'm not against enrolling you in a dancing class, but you need to know you'll have a responsibility to go."

"Ace," Luffy whined, doing his best to pull Ace forward, but making no progress, "all the best boxers took dancing lessons! If I wanna be a boxer when I grow up, I need to do it too, come on!"

Ace chuckled, still holding onto Luffy's hand tightly. "Alright, let's go then."

Luffy's excitement was contagious to the point where Ace couldn't stop himself from grinning as he opened the door and ushered Luffy inside. The grin, however, slipped from his face the moment he laid eyes on the only adult in the room and he could already feel his jaw dropping. He'd love to claim it was because of the tights the guy was wearing, but really, it was the way he settled on the tips of his toes, standing tall and proud with his arms held above his head, forming almost a perfect circle.

There were at least a dozen kids scattered around him, looking starstruck and awed, an expression that was probably finding its way on Ace's face as well. A moment later, the manlowered himself from his toes, arms going down at the same pace until he stood there, feet flat on the ground and arms against his sides.

Ace was sure he was zoning out, looking at the back of the guy's head, because he heard nothing until the kids' cheered and snapped him out of it. They all hurried towards a door at the back of the room and only then did the guy turn around, and Ace knew he was gawking, but he really couldn't help it. The guy was absolutely gorgeous, though slightly confused looking as he approached Ace and Luffy.

"Hi!" Luffy shouted, and Ace could have kissed him for snapping him out of staring and making him close his mouth, because that was just embarrassing. "I'm Luffy and this is my big brother Ace."

Ace waved a bit awkwardly, sure at this point that the man had spoken and he'd completely missed it.

"I'm Marco," he said, grinning down at Luffy before his gaze flicked up to Ace through his eyelashes and honestly, Ace was embarrassed how his brain function stuttered to a halt. "How can I help you?" he asked, still grinning while Ace was sure his face might catch fire from how hot it felt.

"I wanna be a boxer!" Luffy exclaimed and yet again saved Ace. He was already thinking where he could take Luffy for ice cream after because he sure as hell deserved it. The slightly confused look on Marco's face, though, made Ace gather his wits finally and speak.

"What he means is, he wants to join your ballet class so he can improve his footwork like all the great boxers do," Ace said before looking down at Luffy. "Right, Luffy?"

"Yes!" he shouted, jumping up a bit and Ace looked up just in time to see Marco grin again.

"Well, you're in the right place then," he said, laughing as his words made Luffy jump up and down.

"I have a beginner's class starting in three weeks, if you're willing to wait," Marco said, turning to Ace this time. Luffy already let out a disappointed whine, but Ace ignored it for the moment.

"That's not a problem," he said, wanting to wait a bit and see if Luffy's interest would dwindle or if he'd go through with the class.

"Are you hoping he'll change his mind?" Marco asked, still smiling, but Ace could tell it wasn't friendly anymore. "As you may have noticed, we don't have many boys in the class."

It didn't take a genius to figure out where the question was coming from. Or that there were only two boys in the group Marco was teaching when they walked in.

"No, I just want to make sure he's still interested in ballet by the time class starts," Ace replied. "And I don't mind waiting here because you seem like you could handle Luffy's," Ace paused to mull over his choice of words before settling on the most diplomatic one, "enthusiasm."

Marco narrowed his eyes at him before eyeing Luffy, who was suspiciously still.

"If you have time, you can bring him here to my other classes in the next few weeks and he can see what he'd be learning," Marco offered before gesturing to the desk near the door. "Let me take your e-mail and we'll be in touch."

"Sounds great," Ace said, sure he'd passed some kind of test and grinning at the prospect of getting to see Marco dance for real.


	35. Guardian

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> warning for mentions of blood

"We need to stop meeting like this."

Ace's eyes fell shut, his hand clutching at the bleeding wound on his stomach, shaking and slippery from the blood, the old wooden wall rough and cold against his back. And yet hearing that voice made relief flood through him. He could finally breathe easier.

"Where's Luffy?" he croaked, feeling blood well in his throat and fill his mouth. "Is he alright?"

Nothing but the soft, almost calming, sound of rustling feathers reached him for a moment before fingers, warm and smooth, slid along his cheek and into his hair.

"Luffy is fine," Marco said softly, his other hand settling over Ace's, just where his wound was. "You were careless, though," he added, the calm of his voice cracked, revealing the anger underneath, but nevertheless, the all too familiar warmth radiated from Marco's hand.

Slowly, the pain was lessening until it was all but gone, replaced by a dull ache that always stayed for a while after Marco healed him, the gentle hand caressing Ace's hair doing just a little to ease the sensation. Ace's breathing slowed, now that the pain and panic were gone, and he opened his eyes to look at Marco at last.

"What were you thinking?" Marco asked and more of the anger spilled out. It was obvious in his eyes and the way they shone a brighter blue when he was particularly mad. It almost hurt to look at him, but Ace couldn't look away. "Taking on a coven this big is a job for more than just you and your brother!"

Despite the words and the harsh way they were spoken, Marco's hands were still gentle where they were touching Ace. He was always gentle, even when Ace knew he didn't deserve it.

"Does it matter now?" Ace asked, resigned and tired of arguing over the same thing every time Marco found him half dead after a hunt gone wrong. It didn't happen nearly as often as it seemed sometimes, but still too often for comfort. Ace was just glad it was always him and not Luffy, though Marco was less than happy about it happening at all.

Marco sighed before he leaned closer, pressing his lips to Ace's forehead. He moved away a moment later, removing his hands and taking the warmth with him as he stood from where he'd been crouching in front of Ace. He looked so out of place, standing tall and put together in a pristine suit, surrounded by blood and carnage from their fight with the coven.

Ace really hated witches.

"No, I suppose it doesn't," Marco replied and Ace snapped out of staring at how good Marco looked in a suit.

"Luffy is looking for you," Marco continued as he offered Ace a hand to help him up, which Ace took without hesitation. "Be more careful, Ace. Please."

The anger was all but gone, replaced by the worry Ace still hadn't gotten used to. It hurt even more to look at Marco when there was that much worry in his eyes and Ace looked away, down at his bloody hand.

"Why do I need to be careful when I have a guardian angel watching over me?" he asked jokingly, but didn't look up, not even when Marco's fingers touched his cheek again.

"All it takes is not finding you on time once," Marco whispered before pressing his lips against Ace's hair and then he was gone, with a flutter of wings Ace couldn't even see.

A moment later, there was nothing but a few pristine white feathers left where Marco stood and Luffy's voice calling for him.

 


	36. Over the phone

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> For Lunarshores, prompt was 'Things you said over the phone'

The date was probably one of the worst Marco had been on in years. Maybe also the first he’d been on in years, but that was neither here nor there, though technically that was the reason Thatch set him up on a blind date. Despite being fine with being single, Marco could understand that Thatch, as a good brother, just wanted him to be happy.

Which was exactly why Marco couldn’t fathom why Thatch would set him up with a boy that looked like he was barely out of high school. Marco wasn’t exactly old, but he was still way too old to date someone that young so it really wasn’t unusual that he’d ended the date pretty early on and they’d parted ways at the restaurant.

Marco was on his way home, walking through the still fairly crowded streets. It gave him time to think and the only conclusion he’d come to was that Thatch was messing with him. Without a second thought, Marco pulled out his phone and dialed the last number he called, knowing he hadn’t used it since calling Thatch earlier in the day.

“‘ello,” he said as he picked up, sounding like his mouth was full which wasn’t that unusual given that it was still kind of dinner time.  

“On a scale from one to ten, how creepy would I be if I went home with someone 12 years younger than me?” he asked without bothering with a hello, doing his best to sound as casual as possible to make Thatch think he was being serious about this. “Usually I wouldn’t consider it, but he’s just short enough to look great if I put him over my knee.”

There was a distinct sound of choking from the other end of the line and Marco couldn’t help but feel smug.

“Well, I guess that would depend on how old you are,” the person who most definitely wasn’t Thatch said a moment later, voice kind of rough from the sputtering and coughing. “If you’re 40, I don’t see why not. If you’re under 30, you should probably  go home alone and think about spanking someone more age appropriate.”

Marco stopped in the middle of the sidewalk, mouth hanging open and his face feeling like it was on fire. He only took a moment to check his phone and notice that he hadn’t actually dialed Thatch’s number, like that wasn’t actually painfully obvious already. The phone was back against his ear in a flash, while Marco thought of something smart to say to rectify the fact he’d made a complete ass of himself.

The stranger was having other plans, though.

“I think now’s a good time to realize you dialed the wrong number,” he said, sounding far too amused to Marco. “Are you Thatch’s cat lady brother?”

Hearing Thatch’s name snapped him out of his embarrassment enough to respond.

“I only have two cats,” Marco said indignantly. “How do you know he’s my brother?”

“He called me earlier from your phone while you were getting ready for your date,” he said. “How tall are you if Coby is that short in comparison?”

“I wasn’t serious about that,” Marco said with a groan. “We already went our separate ways.”

“My question still stands,” the guy said. “I’m intrigued now. How often do you put someone over your knee, though? Or is that just for when you find someone short enough?”

“Oh god,” Marco mumbled, not knowing exactly how to start explaining that he wasn’t a creep that liked spanking young boys.

“Coby’s 20, though, does that mean you’re around 32?” the guy continued. “That’s not old, I’d probably let you spank me.”

Marco slapped a hand against his face, unsure what the hell was going on.

“What?” His voice sounded pretty weak and croaky, but at this point, he was sure no one would blame him.

“Unless you think _I’m_ too old,” he continued, “since I’m closer to 30 than 20.”

He sounded like he was genuinely wondering and not just teasing which made Marco snort.

“How about coffee first and you can tell me how you know my brother and Coby,” Marco said, “and we can get to the spanking later.”

There was laughter from a moment before the stranger replied.

“Sure,” he said. “My name’s Ace, by the way.”


	37. When you thought I was asleep

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> For wordsdrippingink, the prompt was 'Things you said when you thought I was asleep'

At first, Ace thought it was the sound of the storm that woke him. The thunder was unmistakeable, mixed with the sound of waves crashing against the hull of the ship, making everything rock along the ocean. It was far from the first storm they’d been caught in and it would hardly be the last, but Ace could tell it was nothing serious just yet considering the alarm hadn’t sounded.

Merely a moment later, though, Marco’s arms wound tighter around Ace’s middle and Marco exhaled sharply against the back of his neck, choking off a sob with his nose buried in Ace’s hair. Even with the almost iron grip Marco had on him, Ace could feel the trembling of his arms and the irregular rise and fall of Marco’s chest against his back.

Just like he could recognize the seriousness of the storm outside, Ace could recognize the aftermath of a nightmare and he was immediately fully awake, ready to turn around and comfort Marco until they could both fall back asleep.

“You mean the world to me,” Marco said softly, lips almost grazing against the back of Ace’s neck, trembling with the harshness of his breath.

Ace froze for a moment, his heart breaking from the pain he could hear in Marco’s whispers, but he couldn’t turn around. 

“I don’t know how to breathe without you anymore,” he said and Ace knew then that Marco thought he was still asleep. Their relationship was still a frail thing, a secret still kept between them and Whitebeard, and there had been no grand gestures or confessions of love. Marco was the one still holding back with his words, and Ace had no idea why.

“And I hate that I’ll have to,” he whispered, a muffled sob interrupting him. He shook, clinging onto Ace and Ace couldn’t bring himself to turn around, his chest aching like there was something piercing through him. “I never wanted to live forever.”

Ace could feel tears well up in his eyes at the confession, fighting with himself not to turn around and show Marco that he was awake. He was obviously not meant to hear this just yet.

He could feel Marco calm down, though, the shaking subsiding and his breathing evening out, the panic of the nightmare draining away. 

“I wish I could tell you,” he whispered at last, exhaling softly before pressing his lips against the back of Ace’s neck, before he relaxed and drifted off, his grip finally loosening.

Ace turned, keeping the tears at bay as he wound his arms around Marco, pressing his face into the crook of Marco’s neck, wishing he didn’t know what plagued Marco’s nightmares. 


	38. When you were drunk (modern AU pt.1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things you said when you were drunk for anon

“Izou!” Ace shouted into his phone as soon as his call went through. “Izou, I’m drunk!” he said, rather redundantly, because he was sure Izou could tell. “And I’m calling you because I promised I would whenever I get drunk and get the urge to call Marco. I don’t know why you don’t want me to tell him I want his cock, but fine, I’ll tell you instead.” He took a deep breath, almost choking on air in his excitement.

“Izou, I want Marco’s cock,” he said pretty reverently, and probably too loudly, but that didn’t matter. Everyone was still inside and the music was really loud in there so no one probably heard, other than Izou. “Even if it’s tiny, but I’m sure it isn’t. He seems like the kind of guy that has a big dick. Do you think he does? Izou?”

“Uh,” came the reply, reluctant and somewhat stilted, “hey, Ace, it’s Marco.”

Ace could feel himself sober up all of a sudden, even though he was still far too drunk to salvage the situation and he really really needed Izou right now. The plan was foolproof, dammit, he just needed to call Izou whenever he felt the need to call Marco and say something stupid. Accidentally calling Marco’s number somehow didn’t seem like a possible weak spot to their plan. 

“Uhm,” Ace mumbled, too drunk to think properly, but sober enough to know he fucked up big time, “wrong number?”

“I kind of gathered that,” Marco replied with a huff. “How drunk are you?”

“Not enough to have this conversation,” he replied, the defeat obvious in his voice. He already knew this would lead to a really long conversation at some point, but the drunkenness was turning into a chronically tired feeling and Ace just wanted to lie down and sleep and forget he made an ass of himself in front of his best friend because he couldn’t keep his mouth shut.

“Where are you?” Marco asked, sounding more concerned than anything else. “Do you need me to come pick you up?

“No, I think I need another drink,” Ace said mournfully, because he fucked up this time.

“Ace,” Marco said, sounding awfully exasperated.

“Alright,” Ace whined, knowing that he’d be embarrassed about that if he was sober, but then again, he’d be embarrassed about what he’d said earlier too so it was all the same at this point. 

“I’ll go home with you if you tell me how big your dick is,” he added triumphantly, because his brain to mouth filter was still offline. 

“Why don’t I pick you up first and then if you’re still curious tomorrow when you’re sober, I’ll show you,” Marco said. Ace was too busy cheering excitedly to bother with trying to figure out what Marco’s voice sounded like. 

“Now tell me where you are,” Marco said and Ace was more than happy to tell him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i hint at some dick showing and all, but obv that doesn't happen while ace is drunk so please just don't go there. thanks


	39. When you sobered up (modern AU pt.2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> continuation of the previous ficlet

Ace considered himself lucky, at least in regards to not being hungover ever, no matter how much he’d had to drink. His head was fine, his stomach was achingly empty, but that was bearable and his mouth tasted like crap, which wasn’t really a symptom of being hungover. Overall, physically he was fine.

Not being hungover, however, meant that he had a really vivid recollection of every excruciating moment he’d spent on the phone with Marco the night before. He could have taken a moment to hope it had all been a dream, but the couch he was lying on was definitely Marco’s, down to the soft pillow that constantly smelled like vanilla to the godawful orange blanket Ace himself bought ages ago. 

He could already see  _ the conversation _ that was going to happen and there was no way to avoid it, unless he wanted to stop being friends with Marco altogether, which may have been a bit of a drastic measure even for him. Getting up and making a run for it would be a pretty desperate move and a coward’s way out too, which Ace definitely wasn’t.

That sentiment changed the moment Marco walked out of his bedroom and stopped in his tracks as soon as he noticed Ace was awake. All Ace could do, other than avoid eye contact, was thank whatever force out there that Marco put on pants before walking into the living room. 

“Good morning,” Marco said and the amusement in his voice was undeniable, just like the relief that coursed through Ace at hearing it. Marco was, so far, acting like things were normal. Maybe there was still hope for Ace.

“Morning.” 

He sat up, rubbing at his face and groaning just a bit when he was harshly reminded that he got the bright idea of stripping all his clothes during the night because of… well, reasons. Marco only snorted from where he stood, before Ace could hear him walk back into his room. A moment later, a pair of sweatpants he was already intimately familiar with fell over Ace’s head. 

“You look like you need those,” Marco pointed out before strolling towards the kitchen. “I’ll make some coffee. You look like you need some of that too.”

Ace put on the pants quickly, suddenly more shy about being naked around Marco than he’d ever been before. They have been friends for a really long time, after all, and Marco has seen him at his worst which somehow always included nudity. But that was a problem to ponder over at a different time. At the moment, he chose to get up and follow Marco to the kitchen.

Looking at Marco in the kitchen, though, as he went about making coffee and probably breakfast, judging by the eggs and bacon he already had on the counter, while humming something that sounded suspiciously like Adele, Ace couldn’t help but  _ want _ this. He’d wanted a lot ever since he realized his feelings for Marco changed somewhere along the way, but he couldn’t deal with it. Wanting to walk up to him, hug him from behind, pester him while he cooks… They were all things he could see himself doing after waking up with Marco in his bed.

And yet all he could talk about on the phone last night was his dick.

“Are we going to talk about it?” he asked, the helpless wanting making him impatient. The cat was out of the bag now, he might as well try to make something of the situation.

Ace could see Marco stop, hand hovering over the tacky red mug he usually saved for Ace. 

“Does that mean you’re still curious?” Marco asked after a beat. There was something in his voice that Ace couldn’t place, something soft and, dare he say, hopeful, as if the question was about more than just what he promised on the phone. It made Ace throw away all the options that included running for it and avoiding the issue.

“Yes,” he said carefully, “but I’m also curious about what you’d look like if I got to kiss you good morning. And good night. And just any time of the day, if you let me.”

Marco lowered his arm slowly, without grabbing the mug after all, before he turned to Ace with a calculating look on his face. Ace felt oddly self conscious under his gaze, something he never felt in front of Marco before.

He was being looked over for what felt like an eternity, before Marco finally smiled a bit as he leaned back against the counter. 

“Well, it is still morning,” he said, the smile growing wider, “so you can still find out.”

Ace couldn’t help but grin back, taking a moment to mentally thank his stupid drunk ass for calling Marco the night before, before he crossed those few steps between them.


	40. When you were meant to kiss me (modern AU pt.3)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> continuation of the previous 2 ficlets. i have lost all control over my life.

Ace was so ready to kiss Marco. His hands were holding onto the kitchen counter on either side of Marco’s hips, their noses almost touching and Ace couldn’t believe his luck. Marco did nothing to move, though, only looking into Ace’s eyes and waiting for him to make a move.

It was the perfect moment for a first kiss and the absolute worst for Ace to remember that his mouth tasted like an unholy mix of all things disgusting in the world. He grimaced before he could press his lips against Marco’s and Marco’s face fell immediately. It was a small, barely noticeable change, but Ace had known him for far too long to miss it.

“I need to brush my teeth,” he said in a panic because the last thing he wanted was to make Marco think he was backing out of this. “You know, before I kiss you. Trust me.”

Marco grimaced as well. “Oh, I trust you. You know where the spare toothbrush is.”

“Don’t go anywhere,” Ace said then pressed a quick kiss to Marco’s forehead before he ran off towards the bathroom. The sound of Marco laughing behind him, though, made him grin. Somehow, this just fit perfectly with the whole situation. 

Ace still hurried through brushing his teeth, though, ignoring his reflection in the mirror that showed just how much of a mess he looked like at the moment. Marco had seen worse so far, especially from him. 

As soon as humanly possible, Ace was running out of the bathroom again, not even a bit embarrassed when he tripped and almost faceplanted into the wall in his hurry. No one saw so it was like it never happened at all. 

Marco’s back was turned to him when he finally made it back to the kitchen. Ace could see the muscles in his back shift under the old threadbare shirt he was wearing as he stirred their coffees, once again humming something ridiculous. His hair was a mess too, as much as his hair could be a mess that is, and his sweatpants had a weird paint splatter just underneath his ass that Ace knew he could never wash out after they painted the living room a few months earlier. 

Somehow, Ace couldn’t remember him ever looking better.

Without a second thought, Ace moved forward until he could wrap his arms around Marco’s waist and rest his chin on Marco’s shoulder. Marco was smiling, not surprised in the slightest at the contact and Ace figured he could try his luck, pressing his lips against Marco’s cheek. All he got was a hum in reply and he smiled, moving a bit so he could press his lips against Marco’s neck next. 

This time there was a laugh, warm and happy and better than anything Ace had been expecting after the disaster from the night before. 

Marco changed his mind not even a moment later, when he glanced at Ace over his shoulder before turning just enough to make pressing his lips against Ace’s easier.


	41. When I caught you

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> things you said when i caught you in a highly compromising position for anon  
> nsfw

“I swear, this is not what it looks like,” Marco said, eyes kind of wild and panicked, his face flushed and almost glowing red in the dim light of the room. Whether it was because Ace barged into his room at the absolutely wrong moment or because of what he was in the middle of doing, Ace couldn’t know for sure. He was pretty curious, though.

“This is your room,” Ace said, barely registering that he was even speaking at all considering his focus was still on Marco; naked, flushed, hand still around his cock. “You can do what you like.”

At this point, Ace was having slight trouble recalling why he’d even barged into Marco’s room like that, in the middle of the night no less. Hearing Marco take a shaky breath, though, followed by Ace’s name, said in a way that was meant to sound exasperated, made him remember. 

“You said my name,” he said dumbly. “That’s why I came in.”

Marco groaned and threw his head back into the pillow, sounding awfully embarrassed. 

“I’m sorry,” he said, “I shouldn’t have done that.” His hand hadn’t moved, though, almost as if he’d forgotten about it. 

Eyes glued to Marco, Ace closed the door, the soft click resounding through the room and disturbing the silence. Marco’s head snapped back up, looking at Ace in a panic for a moment before he sighed in relief. Ace was sure Marco panicked for a moment, thinking he’d left without a word. That panic was replaced with confusion a moment later, because Ace had stayed in the room.

“Do you want me to help you with that?”

The question seemed to startle them both, even though Ace was the one to ask it. He wasn’t entirely sure what he was thinking, but he had a feeling Marco wouldn’t mind this, whatever it may be. 

“Yes,” Marco admitted softly, almost too quiet to be heard, but Ace did hear him and it was enough to make him move towards the bed until he could climb on it, holding himself on all fours above Marco.

All reluctance vanished when he looked down and saw Marco staring at him, wide eyed and awed, but still hesitant, as if he couldn’t believe this was real.

“Can I kiss you?” he asked before he could think about it at all. 

Instead of an answer, Marco let out a wounded sort of sound before he reached up to tangle his fingers into Ace’s hair and pull him down until their lips pressed together, too forcefully, too clumsily, but perfect enough to ignite the pure want in Ace that was nothing but a dull throb so far. Marco’s other hand slid along Ace’s side, reaching for his hip before Marco flipped them over until he could straddle Ace’s hips. 

“We’re going to have to talk about this,” Marco said, though he didn’t sound too enthusiastic about it. Even more so when Ace slid his hands up Marco’s thighs, making them both shiver.

“Tomorrow?” Ace asked, hopeful and more than a little aroused.

“Tomorrow,” Marco said before leaning down again.


	42. When we were born again

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> an anon asked for a reincarnation au and i never wrote one so i kind of improvised a thing

Marco supposed he should have known long ago that death wouldn’t be the end. Not for him, at least. A phoenix was a creature of rebirth, not eternal life, after all.

He never expected to come back with his memories intact, though, that first time it happened, and he’d come to dread the cycle of dying and being reborn only to remember all the lives he’d lived .  Not once, though, did he find a family like the one he’d had that first time. 

Not until he walked into a small flower shop near his apartment building, countless lifetimes after he was Marco the Phoenix, and found Ace looking at him with astonishment and something like recognition that almost broke Marco. He froze in his tracks, the silence around them broken only by the cheerful jingle of the bell as the door closed behind Marco.

“I,” he started, though he really didn’t know where he was going with that. “Ace?” he asked instead, voice low and oh so painfully hopeful.

“I know you,” Ace said just as quietly.

The words were said with so much wonder that Marco couldn’t stop himself from walking closer to the counter where Ace stood. He seemed to shake himself then, looking confused for a moment and Marco’s heart dropped.

“I don’t know why I said that,” Ace said, shaking his head, and Marco could feel his hope die a slow painful death. “I’m sure you’ve changed.”

Marco dared to look back up again, feeling the hope in him give a final kick.

“I would like to get to know you again, though.” 

Ace’s grin was something Marco had never forgotten, wouldn’t know how to even if he tried. It was a smile that could bring him to his knees and at the same time make him feel like he was flying far above the clouds. 

“I’d like that too.”


	43. Through your teeth

“You were right,” Marco said and Ace could practically hear his teeth grind together as he said it.

“I’m sorry, what was that?” Ace asked even though he knew what Marco said. He had the right to be a shit at the moment, considering their situation.

“I said you were right and I should have listened to you in the first place,” Marco said, more clear this time, but he hardly sounded happy about it.

Ace wasn’t too happy about being right either, but it was nice to get some recognition for his obviously superior instincts. 

“Thank you,” he said, trying not to sound too smug, but failing at it a bit. “We need to figure out how to get out of here, though.”

_ Here _ being one of the supply rooms in the hull of the ship. Marco was the one that had been feeling adventurous and Ace pointed out that people still came down there on occasion. Of course, he hadn’t been expecting those people to be Thatch and Izou, who were seemingly there for the same reason as him and Marco, which they probably will be talking about once they got out of there.

“I can’t believe they’re together,” Marco whispered. “Thatch didn’t say anything.”

“To be fair, we didn’t tell them either,” Ace replied, looking around for the best way out, but found nothing considering Izou was pinning Thatch to the only door available. 

“Should we interrupt them before this goes any further?” Marco asked, eyes glued to the two by the door. It looked to Ace like he wanted to look away, but couldn’t, which is exactly why he himself did everything in his power not to look at them. 

“I don’t wanna interrupt them!” Ace whisper shouted. “Then they’ll know we came here to have sex too.”

“Are you planning on just sitting back here and waiting them out?” Marco asked incredulously, finally looking away to stare at Ace. “I don’t wanna be here for that!”

A sharp inhale drew both their attention to the door and looking was really the wrong thing to do as they were met with Izou’s naked ass. Ace cracked first, cursing far too loudly before he tried to look away and managed to hit his head on one of the crates next to him. Marco panicked immediately, calling Ace’s name and giving them away completely.

Thatch shrieked first while Izou scrambled to pull his robe back up, but neither Marco nor Ace were looking anymore.

“What the hell?” Izou shouted, clutching the robe around himself while Thatch just stared on.

“Move from the door before I see more than I need to!” Ace shouted back, pulling Marco along while Izou and Thatch moved, letting them out. They made their escape quickly, without looking back even once until they made it all the way to the deck.

“That went well,” Marco said, staring off into the distance.

“We’re avoiding them for a day or two, right?” Ace asked. “I don’t think I can look either of them in the eye just yet.”

“Agreed.”


	44. Arranged marriage

“If I don’t win your heart in a month, we can call off the wedding.”

The words were said in a whisper, so low that Ace almost didn’t hear them over the sound of his heartbeat and the blood rushing in his ears. They got his attention, though, and made him look up only to notice for the first time that the room was empty, save for the person that spoke.

Prince Marco, Crown Prince of Birka Kingdom and the Moby Isles.

It took a moment for Ace to notice that the Prince was sitting as far from him as possible, but once he did see it, it offered some degree of comfort. He had no idea if he could stomach them being within touching distance at the moment and the thought alone made him tense, his fists curling tightly at his sides where they rested on the sofa.

The tickle of something soft against his knuckles made him twitch for a moment until he realized it was only Spade, his whiskers brushing against Ace's had as he sniffed intently. It only went to show just how unsettled Ace was, for him to forget that he came to this meeting straight from the gardens, with his pet rabbit in his arms. He didn't tend to forget about Spade, ever, but his presence as he hopped into Ace's lap had the calming effect he needed at the moment.

"Is that even an option?" he asked, his mouth dry and his gaze firmly set on Spade's black fur.

"If you want it to be."

The Prince sounded as if he really meant it too, but the tone of his voice and the hushed way he spoke as if he might scare Ace if he talked too loudly made it obvious he knew something. Perhaps not everything, but enough for him to pity Ace and he was having none of that.

"I'm not made of glass," Ace said, his voice betraying none of the anger that came whenever he was treated so delicately, "and I am not likely to break if you speak up."

It was that anger that made him face the Prince and look him in the eyes. He didn't miss the surprise on the Prince's face, subdued so fast it seemed almost as if it was never there in the first place.

"I know," the Prince said, his tone almost bored sounding, but at least the pity wasn't there anymore. "That does not change the fact I'd rather not marry you if you're opposed to it."

Ace remained silent, looking at the Prince patiently as he waited for the other shoe to drop. Because how could it not? Their engagement was a contract between more than just two people, they were representatives of whole nations, and breaking that contract wasn't as simple as Ace saying 'no'.

"I would still like a chance to win you over," the Prince added, his smile brief, but unmistakably there and it was that alone that made Ace reach a decision before he could even think about it at length.

"A month, then," Ace said, offering a smile of his own, a brief weak thing that felt at odds with the shakiness he was still trying to suppress from the thought of once again being a prisoner in someone else's kingdom. Thinking of a marriage as a prison was probably the worst way of starting a courtship, but there was no helping that now.

"A month," the Prince repeated, sounding pleased, almost like he'd won something and Ace couldn't stop the anticipation creeping up on him.


	45. I think I'm in love

"I think I'm in love," Ace whispered, promptly ignoring the indignant snort from Sabo because he was too busy staring at the altar. "He's gorgeous."

"Lucky that you're about to marry him, then," Sabo whispered back as they continued walking between rows and rows of nobles and dignitaries, towards the altar where the eldest son of King Edward was waiting. He was more gorgeous than Ace expected and for a moment, there was no removing the awe from his face.

Ace could see him, staring at the two of them walking slowly down the aisle. All eyes were on them, actually, but Ace ignored everyone else because honestly, he was nervous enough about the whole marriage thing as is. Paying attention to the frankly alarming number of people in attendance would only make it worse, despite the fact he was used to being under scrutiny each day of his life.

His mother sat on the ornate throne to the left of the altar, Ace knew without even looking, and King Edward sat to the right. Ace didn't spare them a glance either, but he took a moment to be thankful that he didn't have to walk down the aisle alone, and even more thankful that his mother chose Sabo to walk with him.

"It'll be alright," Sabo said as they got closer to the altar, close enough for Ace to see the Prince's face properly and the bright color of his eyes and the was his lips were pressed together tightly, like he was fighting off some emotion trying to reveal itself.

"He looks smitten already," Sabo added just before they had to stop in front of the Prince and Ace was momentarily confused before he got the urge to ask Sabo what he meant, but it was too late. The Prince was in front of him, within touching distance and they were meant to stand side by side while his mother looked utterly pleased with herself for that brief moment Ace dared look at her.

The nerves were back and Ace could have sworn the entire ceremony passed by in the blink of an eye because suddenly there was the weight of a crown on his head and the warmth of a hand around his. The Prince was leading him back down the aisle and Ace knew he ought to get used to calling him 'Your Highness', but it was all too new because they hadn't met before that day and even though that was a normal practice for royalty, Ace wasn't sure he liked it.

He was so absorbed in his thoughts that it took a moment too long to notice the cacophony of voices was gone, replaced by a peaceful silence Ace had missed all day.

"That went well," the Prince said, drawing Ace's attention and it became more obvious how attractive he truly was. "I don't suppose you'd like to stay here for a while before we go back out there. Don't know about you, but I haven't had a moment of peace in the past week."

Some of the nervousness melted away as Ace watched this Prince, the heir to a very big throne and the beloved general of the King's army, pick up a pillow from the nearest sofa to hug as he sat down.

"Don't tell me you participated in planning the wedding," Ace remarked, smiling a little as he leaned against the door where he had a good view of the Prince. "Perhaps you picked out the flowers?" he asked with a small grin before remembering who he was speaking to. "Your Highness," Ace added, trying not to offend.

They were married now, but it was first and foremost a political marriage. He got a laugh in reply, the sound rich and oh so beautiful to listen to, distracting Ace for a moment, long enough that he almost missed what the Prince was saying.

"I'm afraid not," he said, still smiling. "Roses wouldn't have been my first choice."

He stood then, so suddenly and swiftly, and Ace could see the years of training in his movements, but he walked slowly, carefully even, looking anything but threatening as he took Ace's hand, running his fingers along the ornate gold band he'd placed there not even half an hour earlier.

"And please," he started, looking into Ace's eyes and still smiling that mysterious smile, warm and inviting and so alluring, Ace could feel his breath catch from the sight of it, "call me Marco."


End file.
